Overview
- The WTA implemented a mandatory, one-time test for the SRY gene that took effect on July 21, 2026 and is now the official eligibility standard for its women's tour.
- Under the policy a positive SRY result renders a player ineligible for the women’s category unless she documents Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome or another recognized difference of sex development to WTA medical staff.
- World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka publicly endorsed the rule during early August press conferences in Montreal, saying she would submit to testing and framing the policy as necessary to protect fairness in women’s competition.
- Responses are sharply divided: some former players have praised the change while rights groups and medical experts warn that using a single gene oversimplifies sex development and could harm intersex athletes.
- The WTA says testing is confidential and one-time, the rollout was quiet, and the policy aligns with similar shifts by other sports bodies and IOC guidance ahead of the 2028 Olympics, which could prompt legal, medical and inclusion challenges.