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Tennis·Human Rights

WTA introduces genetic sex testing for female tennis professionals

Wednesday, 22 July 2026, 07:17 · 1 min read

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has announced that all female professional tennis players must undergo a mandatory genetic screening test — a cheek swab analysing the presence of the SRY gene, located on the Y chromosome — in order to compete in WTA tournaments. The decision follows pressure from the International Olympic Committee, which introduced similar testing in March 2025 at the urging of US President Donald Trump, who seeks to bar transgender and intersex athletes from women's events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Critics, including Andrew Sinclair — the geneticist who first identified the SRY gene — argue the test is scientifically inadequate, as it cannot determine whether the gene is functional, whether testosterone is produced, or whether the body can utilise it; WTA founder Billie Jean King has also spoken out against the exclusion of transgender athletes from sport.

Sources
tazGentest für Tennisprofis: Feindbild Transfrau ↗︎tazGeschlechtstest im Tennis: Mit Speicheltest die Identität ermitteln ↗︎
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