Women’s tennis players must take one-time gene test for eligibility
Players will need to take a test for the SRY gene, which helps to determine biological sex, the WTA says.
Women’s tennis players will be required to take a one-time gene test for eligibility, according to the Women’s Tennis Association, which said the screening will look for the SRY gene, a marker used to help determine biological sex.
The policy was highlighted in a report published by Al Jazeera Latest. Based on the publicly monitored feed, the WTA is introducing the test as part of its eligibility rules for women’s competition. The feed summary did not provide further details on how the test will be administered, when it will take effect, or what consequences would follow if a player does not meet the requirement.
The SRY gene plays a role in sex determination, and its inclusion in eligibility screening indicates the WTA is moving toward a biological test as part of its framework for women’s events. No additional explanation was included in the feed about whether the rule applies to all players across all levels of competition or only to specific events.
The development adds to a broader debate in sport over eligibility standards in women’s categories, where federations have faced pressure to define and enforce clear rules while balancing fairness, privacy and inclusion. In this case, the publicly available summary did not include comment from players, tournament officials or independent experts.
This article is based on a monitored public feed and reflects the information available in the report from Al Jazeera Latest.
Source: Al Jazeera Latest - https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/7/20/womens-tennis-players-must-take-one-time-gene-test-for-eligibility?traffic_source=rss
