WTA Mandates SRY Gene Test for All Players
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- WTA announced an updated women's eligibility policy effective Tuesday requiring every player to submit a cheek swab, blood, or saliva sample to test for the SRY gene, part of the Y chromosome that triggers male characteristics.
- Players who test positive for the SRY gene will face further medical assessment before being permitted to compete, and only a negative result allows them to play on the Tour.
- The policy mandates a single lifetime test and requires players to sign a document acknowledging they could face disciplinary action for refusing testing.
- The WTA's previous policy, last updated in 2024, allowed transgender women to compete if they maintained testosterone below 2.5 nmol/L for two consecutive years; the source notes no transgender women currently play on the WTA Tour.
- The WTA stated the updated policy is designed to ensure fair competition and was approved after consultation with members and a review of evolving standards in women's sport.
- World Athletics brought similar SRY gene testing into effect in September 2025, and World Boxing approved mandatory SRY testing in May 2025, placing tennis within a broader pattern across Olympic-adjacent sports.
- The WTA's eligibility policy has existed since 1975 and undergoes periodic review in light of developments across international sport.
Why it matters: The WTA is replacing a hormone-based threshold with a binary genetic screen, aligning tennis with World Athletics and World Boxing while raising the compliance bar for every female player on Tour. The immediate operational change: every player must complete a one-time test before competing, with refusal triggering disciplinary action.
