TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - "I think it's really important to keep the fairness in our tour," said Aryna Sabalenka on Monday. "Obviously, biologically, men are way stronger than women, so I feel like it would not be really fair for a woman to compete against a biological man.
"I believe it took them a little while to make this decision and I support it," the Belarussian continued. "If they want to test us all, I'm happy to do that; it's pretty fair, and let's keep it that way."
WTA introduces genetic testing
In July 2026, the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) introduced a one-time, mandatory genetic test for all players. As part of the protocol, players will be tested for the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome. The test can be conducted by a cheek swab or a blood test.
The new policy also includes a document players must sign highlighting disciplinary action is possible if testing is refused.
The previous WTA policy allowed transgender women to compete if their testosterone levels had been lowered to below 2.5 nmol/L continuously for the previous two years. There are no known transgender women currently playing on the WTA Tour.
Sabalenka is currently the best female tennis player in the world, and has been ranked number 1 for 92 consecutive weeks, so her endorsement carries a lot of weight.
On top of that, she competed in the modern edition of Battle of the Sexes in Dubai in 2025 — a match she lost to Nick Kyrgios, a male Australian player. While billed as a way to generate interest in tennis, some were critical of the match-up.
World Boxing introduced it in May 2025 after a lengthy and controversial debate around gold medal winner Imane Khelif at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
World Athletics did similarly in September 2025. Then, in the decision likely to have the most far-reaching impacts, the International Olympic Committee updated their guidelines in early 2026.
How has this new policy been received?
Trans athletes have long been politicized.
Riley Gaines, a former swimmer at the US collegiate level, has become a conservative political activist who is known for campaigning against the participation of trans women in women's sports. Recently, Gaines was seen supporting WNBA star Sophie Cunningham, who had said in an ESPN feature that "biological men" should not compete in female sports in order to protect young girls.
Maria Jose Martinez-Patino, whose personal experience with gender verification dramatically impacted sporting policy on the matter in the 1980s, believes new genetic testing for women at elite level is "a setback of several decades."
"It takes me back to the 1950s and 1960s, when women practically had to go through a series of controls, had to undress in front of a panel of doctors," Martinez-Patino told DW in an interview in 2025. "I get the impression that we haven't advanced from a scientific point of view. We've made practically no progress if it's now categorically said that women with X and Y chromosomes are not women."
World Athletics argues that the SRY gene — present in people with a Y chromosome, usually men — "is a reliable indicator for determining biological sex." Martinez-Patino believes, though, that determining someone's sex is not as simple as that.
"It's not black or white. There are more than 60 genetic mutations which I think are not all that complicated to study. Something that I've always said is that it should be done case by case," the Spanish former hurdler said.
Read: Aldila Sutjiadi Becomes First Indonesian to Win DC Open Title
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
