World’s No. 1 player praises Women’s Tennis Association ban on biological men competing 

The world’s No. 1 women’s tennis player is speaking out in favor of the Women’s Tennis Association’s decision to become the first professional sports league to require gender testing to ensure men are not competing in women’s sports.

“I think it’s really important to keep our fairness in our tour,” top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus said during a WTA Tour press interview Sunday. “I support it. If they want to test us all, I’m happy to do that.”

Sabalenka was the first professional tennis player to comment publicly on the decision.

The WTA’s updated eligibility policy, announced July 20, says it is designed to “promote equal athletic opportunities in women’s professional tennis and maintain fair competition for all players participating in WTA tournaments.”

Players will now take a single test for the SRY gene, which is located on the Y chromosome and plays the central role in triggering male sex determination. A negative result allows them to play indefinitely in the WTA.

Before the July update, the association allowed transgender women to play in the league. Its previous eligibility policy defined “woman” as: “Biological males (i.e., individuals who have or previously had testes) with a female gender identity or a non-binary gender identity who (a) have Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome; or (b) have satisfied the Eligibility Conditions set out at clause 3,” which included signing a waiver and proving low testosterone levels.

Previously, to be allowed to play as a biological male in the WTA, men had to demonstrate that their testosterone levels were continuously below 72.10 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) for the previous 24 months. A biological female’s premenopausal testosterone levels are usually between 15 and 46 ng/dL, allowing transgender competitors to have much higher testosterone levels.

This change follows the International Olympic Committee’s institution of SRY testing for female competitors ahead of the 2028 Olympics. In a video released in tandem with the announcement in March, IOC President Kirsty Coventry explained the change was for safety reasons.

“The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts,” Coventry said. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”

The issue of men in women’s sports, as a direct result of transgender ideology, has been a growing controversial topic in America. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled states could exclude transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports teams. WNBA Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham has also recently faced harsh opposition for her statements on this topic.

(Image credit: Ocoudis/Wikimedia Commons)