The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has announced that all players must undergo mandatory genetic sex testing to compete on the WTA Tour, marking a significant shift in eligibility policy that takes effect this week.
Under the new regulations, players will be required to provide a cheek swab, blood or saliva sample to screen for the presence of the SRY gene — a gene located on the Y chromosome that triggers male sexual development. The test is administered once per player's lifetime. A negative result is mandatory to compete; players who test positive will undergo further medical evaluation before being cleared to play.
The updated policy, outlined in the latest edition of the WTA's women's eligibility regulations, also requires players to sign a document acknowledging that refusal to undergo testing could result in disciplinary action.
"We recognise that this is a sensitive and complex issue and are committed to treating all players with dignity and implementing the policy in a respectful and thoughtful way," the WTA said in a statement.
The new framework replaces the previous eligibility rules last updated in 2024, which permitted transgender women to compete on the Tour provided they had maintained testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol/L for a continuous period of two years. Notably, there are currently no known transgender women competing on the WTA Tour.
"The WTA's women's eligibility policy is designed to promote equal athletic opportunities in women's professional tennis and maintain fair competition for all players participating in WTA tournaments," the governing body said. "Since first being introduced in 1975, the eligibility policy has undergone periodic review in light of developments across international sport."
The WTA's decision aligns with a broader trend across women's sport. World Athletics implemented a similar mandatory gene-testing policy in September 2025, requiring athletes competing in the female category for world ranking events to undergo a one-time SRY gene test. World Boxing followed suit in May 2025 with mandatory sex testing for all athletes in the women's category.
The policy has been approved by the WTA board following a review that included consultation with WTA members and consideration of evolving standards across women's sport. It comes into force on Tuesday, with all players on the Tour expected to comply.
Sources
- BBC Sport: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/cn4nvwl9550o
