WTA Requires Gender Genetic Test for Female Tennis Players

The WTA requires genetic sex tests for female tennis players to be able to compete in the WTA Tour (doc. WTA).

JAKARTA - The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) officially requires all players to undergo gender determination genetic tests in order to compete in the WTA Tour.

The regulation imposes a new policy regarding the eligibility of athletes to compete in the women's sector which will take effect on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. All tennis players who appear on the WTA Tour are required to undergo a gender genetic test before competing.

This new policy requires players to provide samples through cheek swabs, blood, or saliva. The sample will be examined to find out the presence of the SRY gene which is part of the Y chromosome and plays a role in the development of male biological characteristics.

The test will only be done once throughout the player's career. Athletes are only allowed to appear on the WTA Tour if the results of the examination show no SRY gene.

Meanwhile, players who get positive results will undergo further medical examinations before being given permission to compete.

In addition to the obligation to undergo the test, the players must also sign a document stating that they can be subject to disciplinary sanctions if they refuse to undergo the examination.

The previous policy, which was last updated in 2024, still allows transgender women to compete on the WTA Tour. The condition is that their testosterone levels must be below 2.5 nmol/L consistently for the previous two years.

However, to date, it is not known that there are transgender female athletes who are competing in the WTA Tour.

"The WTA Women's Eligibility Policy is designed to provide equal athletic opportunities in professional women's tennis as well as maintain fair competition for all players participating in WTA tournaments," the WTA said in a statement.

Since it was first introduced in 1975, the policy on the eligibility of female athletes has undergone a number of periodic reviews in line with the development of international sports regulations.

"Following the latest review, which included consultation with WTA members and considered the development of standards in the women's sport, the WTA Board approved an update to the women's athlete eligibility policy that will take effect in 2026 based on biological sex," the statement continued.

The WTA is also aware that this issue is a sensitive and complex issue. Therefore, the world tennis body is committed to treating all players with dignity and implementing policies with full respect and caution.

This change in WTA policy comes a year after the World Athletics Federation (World Athletics) implemented new rules in September 2025. The regulation requires athletes who want to compete in the women's category in events that affect the world rankings to undergo a one-time genetic test.

Meanwhile, World Boxing also agreed to use the SRY test in May 2025. The world boxing organization imposed a mandatory gender test for all athletes who want to compete in the women's category.