Women's tennis to require genetic testing for sex determination — and opinions are divided

The WTA will begin implementing a new policy that requires all players to undergo genetic testing to determine eligibility for the women's tour. According to Jessica Pegula, testing is expected to begin as early as the Cincinnati tournament, which opens next week.

The decision, announced by the tour in July, is already sparking reactions among some of the world's top players. World number one Aryna Sabalenka expressed support for the move:

"I think it's very important to keep the fairness in our tour. Obviously, biologically, men are stronger than women, so I feel like it wouldn't be fair for women to compete against biological men."

Sabalenka added that she has no problem undergoing the test herself: "If they want to test all of us, I'm happy to do it. It's quite fair, and let's keep it that way."

In contrast, world number two Elena Rybakina sounded more reserved: "I don't know what to say. If we have to do it, we will do it. I won't say it's unnecessary, but I think that even without the tests, everything was fine. If it needs to be done, we will."

Coco Gauff, winner of two Grand Slam titles, said she understands the desire to maintain fairness in women's sports but warned against turning the issue into a tool to attack the transgender community:

"I definitely agree with trying to protect fairness in women's sports. But I also don't like the attack that it creates. There are people who don't really care, they just want to use it as a reason to attack the transgender community. I definitely support the transgender community, but I also support the need to create fairness in sports."

Pegula, the top American on the tour and a member of the WTA Players' Council, said she did not oppose the policy and had not heard significant opposition from other players. According to her, the tour provided players with detailed information about the reasons for the change and how the tests would be conducted.

The official WTA policy states that it distinguishes between biological sex and gender identity "only to the extent necessary to ensure that the policy is clear and achieves its purpose," and that it has no intention of harming anyone's identity or dignity.

The move comes a few months after the International Olympic Committee also introduced a policy requiring female athletes to undergo genetic testing for eligibility to participate in the women's category at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.