The Women’s Tennis Association announced an updated eligibility policy requiring all competitors to submit to genetic sex testing in order to participate on the WTA Tour. The new policy takes effect on Tuesday and mandates that players provide biological samples through cheek swabs, blood, or saliva to be analyzed for the presence of the SRY gene, a marker found on the Y chromosome associated with male development.
Under the revised framework, players will undergo testing only once throughout their careers. A negative result indicating the absence of the SRY gene permits participation on the tour. Should a player test positive for the gene, they will be required to undergo additional medical evaluation before being cleared to compete. The WTA also introduced a requirement for players to sign documentation acknowledging potential disciplinary consequences for refusing the test.
This policy replaces the previous eligibility standards established in 2024, which permitted transgender women to compete provided they maintained testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol/L for a continuous two-year period preceding competition. The WTA stated there are currently no known transgender women competing on the professional tour.
The governing body characterized the policy as intended to ensure fair competition and equal athletic opportunities across women’s professional tennis. Officials noted the eligibility requirements have been periodically reviewed since their introduction in 1975 and that the current revision reflects evolving standards in women’s sports internationally. The WTA emphasized its commitment to implementing the policy with dignity and respect for all players.
The WTA’s decision aligns with similar policy shifts by other international sports organizations. World Athletics implemented comparable genetic testing requirements in September 2025 for female competitors in world ranking events, while World Boxing approved mandatory sex testing using the SRY test in May 2025 for women’s category athletes.