The Women’s Tennis Association is set to introduce mandatory genetic sex testing for every player wishing to compete on its Tour, in the most significant overhaul of the body’s eligibility rules in a generation.
Under the updated women’s eligibility policy, which comes into effect on Tuesday, players will be required to undergo a one-time test for the presence of the SRY gene — a section of DNA that forms part of the Y chromosome and is associated with the development of male sex characteristics. The screening can be carried out via a cheek swab, blood sample or saliva sample.
Players who return a negative result — indicating the gene is not present — will be immediately eligible to compete. A positive result will trigger further medical assessment before a player can be cleared. The WTA has said the screening is intended to be a once-in-a-lifetime requirement, on the basis that a person’s genetic make-up does not change, unless there is reason to believe a result was recorded in error. Players are also understood to be required to sign documentation acknowledging that a refusal to be tested could result in disciplinary action.
The move replaces the WTA’s previous framework, under which transgender women were permitted to compete if they declared their gender as female and maintained a lowered testosterone level for a defined period before entering events. Reuters has reported that there are no known transgender women currently active at any level of professional tennis.
Why the WTA has acted
In a statement, the WTA framed the change as an attempt to set a clear, consistent standard. “The WTA’s women’s eligibility policy aims to promote equal athletic opportunities in women’s professional tennis and ensure fair competition for all players in WTA tournaments,” the body said, adding that its board approved the updated policy “based on biological sex” following a review that involved consultation with members and reflected “changing standards in women’s sport.”
The WTA also acknowledged the sensitivity of the decision. “The WTA understands that this is a sensitive and complex matter,” it said. “We are committed to treating all players with dignity while implementing the policy in a respectful and thoughtful manner.”
The eligibility policy was first introduced in 1975 and has been reviewed periodically since. Tennis has its own history on the issue: transgender player Renée Richards competed on the women’s professional tour between 1977 and 1981 before going on to coach 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova.
A wider shift across sport
The WTA becomes the latest governing body to adopt SRY-gene screening. World Athletics introduced mandatory one-time gene testing for competitors in the female category at world-ranking events in September 2025, while World Boxing approved compulsory SRY testing for female-category boxers in May 2025. The International Olympic Committee has also signalled it intends to use sex testing at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Navratilova, a long-standing critic of transgender inclusion in women’s events, welcomed the WTA’s move as “a step in the right direction,” while stressing she had played no part in drafting the policy. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka said last year that she believed it would be unfair for women to face transgender opponents.
The case against
The decision is likely to reignite a fierce and long-running debate. Human-rights organisations and a number of medical and scientific bodies have argued that systemic sex testing — a practice largely abandoned in athletics in the 1990s before its recent revival — is discriminatory and can cause lasting harm to the athletes it affects, particularly women with differences of sex development (DSD) who may have no knowledge of their genetic make-up.
Critics also contend that a single genetic marker cannot capture the full biological complexity of sex, and that such policies risk conflating DSD athletes with transgender women despite the two groups being distinct. In March 2026, more than 80 human-rights and sport advocacy groups urged the IOC to drop its reported plans for universal genetic testing of female athletes.
With the policy taking effect on Tuesday, attention will now turn to how the WTA handles confidentiality, the practicalities of screening its playing body, and how the sport’s leading figures respond.
