Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has publicly supported the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) new transgender eligibility policy, stating that it is crucial to preserve fairness in the sport. During a press conference at the Canadian Open in Montreal, Sabalenka addressed the guidelines, which have drawn criticism from some pro-transgender activists.
"I think it's really important to keep the fairness in our tour," Sabalenka said. "Biologically, men are way stronger than women, so I feel like it would not really be fair for women to compete against biological men."
Sabalenka described the policy as a fair and necessary measure to protect the integrity of the women's tour. She indicated that while the decision took time, she fully supports it. The policy includes a requirement for players to undergo a one-time genetic screening for the SRY gene on the Y chromosome. "If they want to test us all, I'm happy to do that. It's pretty fair, and let's keep it that way," she stated.
The WTA's decision aims to anchor the sport to the premise that women's sports are a distinct category based on biological sex. This stance aligns with comments from tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who has argued that the WTA was created for biological females and that inherent biological advantages, such as bone density and muscle mass conferred by male puberty, cannot be overcome by training alone.
Sabalenka's comments reflect a broader sentiment that is emerging across the sports landscape, with fans reportedly showing support for athletes who speak directly about sex-based distinctions in sports. The article notes that when female athletes defend their categories without apology, they often receive significant public backing. Sabalenka's defense of the WTA's policy is framed as a defense of her sport's integrity, reinforcing the idea that maintaining women's sports as female is a matter of common sense rather than a political debate.