BERLIN — The Women’s Tennis Association will introduce one-time compulsory genetic testing for all players from Tuesday. This is a requirement for participating in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The WTA this week updated its women’s eligibility rules to include gender screening “based on biological sex” “to maintain the integrity of women’s professional tennis and maintain a level playing field for all players.”
The new policy is in line with eligibility rules introduced by the International Olympic Committee in March in conjunction with US President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Sports ahead of the 2028 Games.
The WTA is following a de facto mandate from the IOC that Olympic bodies follow, but it remains unclear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at the tournament level.
Athletes will be tested for the SRY gene, a DNA segment normally found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sexual development in the womb and indicates the presence of testes.
“For the purpose of this policy, ‘biological male’ means an individual, regardless of legal sex or gender identity, who has the SRY gene and therefore has or has had testes or striae; and ‘biological female’ means an individual, regardless of legal sex or gender identity, who does not have the SRY gene and therefore has or has had ovaries or striae.”
WTA said the policy distinguishes between biological sex and gender identity and is “not intended to disrespect or question gender identity or personal dignity.”
Mandatory gender testing, already implemented by the governing bodies of track and field, skiing and boxing, has been criticized by human rights experts and activist groups.
