Sabalenka Backs Gender Testing in Women's Tennis
The world's top female tennis player believes the WTA's decision to mandate genetic testing is correct and crucial for preserving fairness in women's sport.
The world's top female tennis player believes the WTA's decision to mandate genetic testing is correct and crucial for preserving fairness in women's sport.
The world's top female tennis player, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, has voiced full support for the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) new policy requiring all players to undergo a one-time genetic test. The decision, which took effect in July 2026, has sparked divided reactions in the sports and scientific communities, with Sabalenka emphasizing that it's a matter of fair conditions for all.
Sabalenka (28), winner of the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and the US Open in 2024 and 2025, had no doubts. "I think it's really important to preserve fairness in our sport. Obviously, biological males are much stronger than women, so I don't think it would be fair for a woman to compete against a biological male," she told DW, as reported by Kurir.rs.
The WTA's top-ranked player added that she has no objection to testing covering all players. "I believe they needed time to make this decision, and I support it. If they want to test all of us, I have no problem with that. It's quite fair, and let it stay that way," Sabalenka said.
The protocol, introduced in July 2026, involves checking for the presence of the SRY gene, a part of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome. The test is done via a simple swab from the inside of the cheek or a blood analysis. All female players will be required to sign a document accepting the new policy, and refusing to take the test could result in disciplinary action.
Previous rules allowed transgender individuals to compete if their testosterone levels were below 2.5 nanomoles per liter and maintained below that threshold for two years. According to available information, there are currently no known transgender tennis players on the WTA tour.
Other leading players have also spoken out about the new rules. American Coco Gauff (22), a Grand Slam champion from the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open, expressed mixed feelings. "I think this kind of conversation has created a lot of animosity towards the trans community, which I'm not a big fan of. But I also understand the biological difference and the need to protect and preserve that," Gauff said, adding that she dislikes "the attack that it creates."
Her compatriot Jessica Pegula emphasized the importance of the education that accompanied the introduction of the new rules. "We had to watch a video and do everything, like the release of education and why we're doing this. It wasn't just imposed on us," Pegula stated.
Elena Rybakina, a Russian playing for Kazakhstan and a two-time Grand Slam champion (Wimbledon 2022, Australian Open 2026), took a more neutral stance. "As far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't say it's unnecessary, but I think it's fine even without these tests. But if we have to do it, we'll do it," she commented briefly.
The new rules have not met with unanimous support. Former Spanish athlete María José Martínez-Patiño, who was excluded from Spain's Olympic team in 1986 after gender testing, believes this approach is a step backward. "It takes me back to the fifties and sixties of the last century, when women had to undergo humiliating checks. I feel that from a scientific point of view, we haven't advanced," she told N1 BiH.
Martínez-Patiño warned that determining biological sex is not a simple matter. "It's not all black and white. There are more than 60 genetic mutations, and each case should be looked at individually," she added.
Professor Andrew Sinclair, who discovered the SRY gene in 1990, also questioned the use of this test in sport, noting that a player could be female and still fail the test if she has differences in sex development (DSD).
The WTA is not the only organization introducing such rules, and the debate is particularly intense in the US, where its headquarters are located. World Athletics and the World Boxing Organization already conduct SRY testing, and the 2028 Olympic Games will also apply it. The discussion has been publicly supported in recent months by numerous female athletes, including former American swimmer Riley Gaines and American basketball player Sophie Cunningham.
