Female tennis players must test for one gene to qualify | Tennis news

Players will need to be tested for the SRY gene, which helps determine natural sex, the WTA says.

Tennis players will need to clear a single test to compete on the women’s tour, the ⁠Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has announced after changing its eligibility rules.

The WTA said on Sunday that the once-in-a-lifetime test for the SRY gene, which helps determine natural sex, can be done using a cheek or blood test, with a new procedure that will come into effect on Tuesday.

The WTA’s previous policy allowed women who had been isolated to participate if they declared their gender as female and then maintained low testosterone for two years before competing.

There are no women who identify as transgender active at any level of professional tennis.

“Eligibility to participate in WTA tournaments will be determined through a one-time evaluation process at the SRY level,” a WTA spokesperson told Reuters.

“Player monitoring will begin in 2026, following all appropriate privacy and data protection measures and at the same time with a comprehensive player communication program.

“The WTA recognizes that this is a sensitive and difficult issue and is committed to treating all players with respect and implementing the policy in a respectful and thoughtful manner.”

Transgender player ⁠Renee Richards competed on the women’s professional tour from 1977 to 1981, before coaching legendary tennis player and gay rights activist Martina Navratilova. Navratilova, the 18-year-old Grand Slam champion, has been vocal against the inclusion of transgender athletes in the sport, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka last year saying it would be unfair for women to face transgender players.

Others, like Billie Jean King – the 12-time Grand Slam singles champion who won the “battle of the sexes” in 1973 – see the exclusion of transgender people as discrimination.

Several sports organizations, including World Athletics and World Boxing, have introduced similar tests in recent years.

In March, the International Olympic Committee said that only female athletes whose gender was confirmed by simultaneous tests would be eligible to participate in women’s teams at the Olympic Games.

Independent advocacy groups say excluding athletes is a form of discrimination.

Opponents of transgender inclusion say that going through male puberty presents athletes with a nervous breakdown that the transition doesn’t alleviate.