Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg broke major news that the WTA has introduced a new eligibility policy that would require all players to undergo genetic sex testing in order to maintain their right to compete on the WTA Tour.
Women’s tennis has not had any known transgender athletes competing at the professional level since Renee Richards in the 1970s. Regardless, starting this month, the WTA is taking the step of requiring all players to undergo genetic testing to identify whether they carry specific genetic markers associated with male biology. Players who refuse to undergo this once-in-a-lifetime test will be ineligible to compete for a certain period and face disciplinary action.
This represents a major change from the WTA’s previous, inclusive policy. Until now, transgender women were technically eligible to compete as long as they met the organization’s requirements, including maintaining the required low testosterone levels through regular monitoring. The reported introduction of mandatory genetic testing would change the way eligibility is determined, with athletes who are found to have certain genetic markers associated with male biology becoming ineligible to compete on the WTA Tour.
The screening would primarily focus on identifying the presence of the SRY gene, a genetic marker associated with male development. Because an individual’s genetic makeup does not change over their lifetime, players would only be required to complete the cheek swab once.
The push for SRY screening is not only about transgender athletes but also about rare differences of sex development. In some cases, individuals with XY chromosomes may be assigned female at birth because external male characteristics do not fully develop, while internal testes can still produce testosterone and lead to male-typical puberty. Sports organizations that support such testing argue that these differences can create eligibility concerns in the female category.
