WTA Mandating Genetic Sex Testing for All Players Sparks Wild Reactions – “Martina Navratilova Must Be Ecstatic”

WTA Mandating Genetic Sex Testing for All Players Sparks Wild Reactions – “Martina Navratilova Must Be Ecstatic”

The WTA have mandated testing for SRY gene (Image via CNN)

The WTA sparked debate when they updated their eligibility policy. On Sunday (July 19), the WTA announced that every player has to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime test for the SRY (Sex-Determining Region Y) gene to determine their biological sex through a cheek swab or ​a blood test.

This is to ensure that no transgender women take part in women’s tennis. At present, however, there are no known transgender athletes who participate at any level of tennis. The new rule will come into effect on Tuesday.

Eligibility to participate in WTA tournaments will be confirmed through a required, one-time screening process for the SRY gene. Player screening will begin in 2026, following all appropriate confidentiality and data privacy safeguards and concurrent with a comprehensive player engagement program. The WTA recognises that this is a sensitive and complex issue and is committed to treating all players with dignity ⁠and implementing the policy in a respectful and thoughtful way.

A WTA spokesperson told the Reuters news agency

Prior to this development, every transgender player was allowed to compete on the tour. This is not the first time a sports organization has made it mandatory for the players to undergo the test. World Athletics and World Boxing have introduced the test, as well as the International Olympic ‌Committee (IOC), which mandated the test in March this year.

I acknowledge that if I fail to undergo [genetic sex testing] as requested by the WTA or compete in a WTA Tournament in which I, to my knowledge, am ineligible to compete under this Eligibility Policy, the WTA may take disciplinary action against me…I further acknowledge and agree that such action may result in (among other things) a specified period of ineligibility to participate in WTA Tournaments, which may lead to the reason for my ineligibility becoming public knowledge or being the subject of public speculation.

A statement of the new document, which must be signed by every WTA player, reads

Those advocating for trans inclusion believe excluding trans athletes is discrimination, including the legendary Billie Jean King, who won the Battle of the Sexes in 1973. But Martina Navratilova, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, is not of the same opinion.

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Fans react to the WTA’s eligibility policy

The new rule, as expected, drew mixed reactions. On social media, fans are accusing the WTA of following Republican principles. But many also believe that trans athletes may have a physical advantage over women while competing due to differences in testosterone levels compared to those of biological women.

The new policy will come into effect on Tuesday
The new policy will come into effect on Tuesday (Image via WTA Tour)

Check out their reactions here:

On X, when one user thanked Navratilova for being vocal about trans athletes’ exclusion from biological women’s sports, the former World No.1 responded with: “A step in the right direction by the @WTA.“

Check out her post here:

Renee Richards was the last known transgender player to compete on the WTA Tour from 1977 to 1981. She later coached Navratilova.

Last year, current World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, during her interview with Piers Morgan, said that she has nothing against transgender people personally, but she sees trans inclusion as “not fair on women” because “woman has been working her whole life to reach her limit and then she has to face a man, who is biologically much stronger, so for me I don’t agree with this kind of stuff in sport.”

After this interview, Sabalenka played the Battle of the Sexes against Nick Kyrgios and lost the match in straight sets. The Belarusian, this year, has made four finals, winning titles in Brisbane, Indian Wells, and Miami. Since then, she hasn’t yet reached a final and was last seen in action in the fourth round of Wimbledon.

Also read: Iga Swiatek Told She’s ‘Not Good Enough’ by Boris Becker After Wimbledon Upset: “Something Needs to Change Dramatically”