WTA makes a bold choice affecting female players right before the US Open
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has announced a new rule that will start tomorrow (July 21) and could spark some debate, especially with the US Open coming up soon.
As players get ready for the North American hard-court tournaments like the Washington Open, Montreal Open, and Cincinnati Open, all eyes are on the big event at Flushing Meadows, New York, in late August.
Men’s singles World No. 3, Carlos Alcaraz, is set to return after missing the French Open and Wimbledon because of a wrist injury. On the women’s side, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is hoping to get back to winning after not making it past the quarter-finals in any of the three major tournaments this year. Sabalenka did win the US Open in 2024 and 2025, so she knows what it takes.
Here’s the big update: all WTA players, including Sabalenka, will now need to take a genetic sex test before they can compete. This test looks for the SRY gene, which is linked to male traits, using a cheek swab, blood, and saliva.
Players will only have to take this test once. If the test comes back negative, they can play in all WTA events, including the majors. If not, they might face penalties based on an agreement they sign before testing.
This rule is different from the 2024 policy, which required transgender women to lower their testosterone levels for two years before competing. It’s worth mentioning that there are currently no transgender players signed with the WTA.
The WTA explained the new rule is meant to keep the competition fair and give equal chances to all women playing in their tournaments. They’ve updated this policy several times since 1975, always keeping up with sports developments. After consulting with members and looking at standards in women’s sports, the WTA board agreed to this new policy based on biological sex, starting in 2026.
They also understand this is a sensitive topic and promise to treat all players with respect while enforcing the rule. Other sports like World Athletics and World Boxing have introduced similar policies recently.
Sabalenka has shared her thoughts on this issue before, especially ahead of her ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match against Nick Kyrgios in December 2025. She told journalist Piers Morgan that while she doesn’t have anything against transgender athletes, she believes they have a big physical advantage over women, and that’s not fair. She said it’s tough for women who have trained their whole lives to compete against someone who is biologically stronger. So, she doesn’t agree with this happening in sports.