The Women's Tennis Association announced this week that all players must undergo a one-time genetic test, with the results determining eligibility not only for WTA competition but for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — an event with significant ties to Colorado Springs as home of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
The organization updated its women's eligibility rules to incorporate gender screening "based on biological sex," citing a goal "to preserve the integrity of women's professional tennis and maintain fair competition conditions for all players." The revised policy brings the WTA into conformity with an eligibility framework the International Olympic Committee adopted in March, which was itself shaped by an executive order on sports issued by U.S. President Donald Trump with the 2028 Games in mind.
The screening centers on the SRY gene, a stretch of DNA ordinarily located on the Y chromosome whose role is to trigger male sexual development before birth and whose presence signals that testes exist or have existed. The policy's definitions turn entirely on that gene: those who carry it — whatever their legal sex or gender identity — are classified as "biological male," while those without it are classified as "biological female," with each category further defined by whether the individual has or previously had testes or ovaries, including streak versions of those organs.
The WTA drew a distinction between biological sex and gender identity in its announcement, saying the organization has "no intent to disrespect or question the gender identity or the dignity of any person." The association is acting in compliance with what amounts to a directive from the IOC that governing bodies across Olympic sports are following, though it remains unclear whether any transgender women are currently competing at the level where these rules would apply.
The type of genetic screening the WTA has now adopted is already in use by the governing bodies of track and field, skiing, and boxing, but the approach has drawn criticism from human rights experts and advocacy organizations.
How the WTA will administer the testing process, and whether any current players will be affected or will contest the new requirement, has not yet been reported.