World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka stated her support for the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) new one-time genetic testing policy, which mandates all players be tested for the SRY gene. The policy, effective July 21, makes the WTA the first professional sports league to implement such a measure.
During a press conference on Friday at the 2026 National Bank Open in Toronto, Sabalenka addressed the new requirement. "I think it’s really important to keep the fairness in our tour," she said. "It’s obviously, biologically, the men are way stronger than women, so I feel like it would be not really fair for the woman to compete against biological man."
The WTA updated its eligibility policy last month to include mandatory testing for the SRY gene, a DNA marker typically found on the Y chromosome. The policy defines a "biological male" as an individual with the SRY gene, regardless of legal sex or gender identity, and a "biological female" as an individual without the SRY gene. The WTA clarified that the policy distinguishes between biological sex and gender identity solely to ensure clarity and its intended effect, with no intent to disrespect any person's gender identity or dignity.
Sabalenka indicated she believes the decision was carefully considered. "I believe it took them a little while to make this decision and, yeah, I support it," she stated. "But for me, I’m focusing on myself, on my goals, you know, whatever it takes. If they want to test us all, I’m happy to do that; it’s pretty fair, and let’s keep it that way."
The implementation of this policy comes amid ongoing debates regarding the participation of transgender athletes in sports. The mandatory gene testing will be a requirement for competition in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Sabalenka's comments follow scrutiny faced by Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham, who reportedly voiced support for barring transgender athletes from women's sports, which led to increased protests at Fever games.
Sabalenka is currently participating in the 2026 National Bank Open, where she is scheduled to face Japan's Moyuka Uchijima in the Round of 64 on Tuesday. She is coming off a straight-sets loss to Japan's Naomi Osaka in the fourth round of Wimbledon 2026, with Osaka winning 6-2, 7-6 (2).