World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka backed the Women’s Tennis Association’s new genetic sex-screening policy, saying biological men are “way stronger” than women and should not compete against women on the professional tour.
Sabalenka made the remarks during a pre-tournament press conference at the National Bank Open in Toronto. A clip of the exchange circulated widely Tuesday after Collin Rugg posted it on X.
Number 1-ranked female tennis player in the world, Aryna Sabalenka, finishes press conference by saying men shouldn’t be in women’s sports.
“It’s obvious that biologically the men are way stronger than women.”
Crazy that the ‘trust the science’ crowd finds this controversial. pic.twitter.com/7PsGREMLut
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 4, 2026
“I think it’s really important to keep the fairness in our tour,” Sabalenka 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 Belarusian star, who remains No. 1 in the WTA singles rankings, said the organization took “a little while” to adopt the standard but called the new testing requirement fair.
“I believe it took them a little while to make this decision and, yeah, I support it,” Sabalenka said. “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.”
WTA replaces testosterone-based rules
The WTA’s updated policy took effect July 21 and requires players to complete a one-time screening for the SRY gene, which generally appears on the Y chromosome and triggers male development.
The association may conduct the screening through a saliva sample, cheek swab or blood sample. A negative result establishes eligibility for life unless officials have reason to believe the result is wrong.
A positive result makes a player ineligible pending further medical review. The policy allows limited exceptions for certain biological males with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome or another disorder of sex development if they never experienced the physiological effects of male mini-puberty or male adolescent puberty.
The previous WTA policy allowed biological males who identified as “transgender” women to compete after lowering testosterone levels for two years. No known “transgender” women currently compete at any level of professional tennis, Reuters reported when the new policy was announced.
The WTA said it adopted the change to preserve “the integrity of women’s professional tennis” and maintain fair competition. It also requires officials to keep players’ screening and medical information confidential.
Women’s sports policies tighten
The move follows similar changes across elite sports.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the International Olympic Committee adopted a one-time SRY gene screening requirement for women’s events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and beyond. IOC President Kirsty Coventry said biological males competing against women would be unfair and, in some sports, unsafe.
DX also reported that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into USTA Texas in November over biological males participating in women’s tennis competitions and whether players received proper notice.
Critics of sex-based eligibility rules, including tennis legend Billie Jean King and “transgender” advocacy organizations, have called exclusions discriminatory. Sabalenka said the policy is fair and worth preserving.
Provided by Dallas Express
