World number one Aryna Sabalenka has spoken out about the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sport, saying it would be unfair for female players to face competitors who have gone through male puberty. In an interview with Piers Morgan, the four-time Grand Slam champion said: “That’s a tricky question. I have nothing to do against them. But I feel like they still got a huge advantage over the women and I think it’s not fair on women to face basically biological men.”
She added: “It’s not fair. The woman has been working her whole life to reach her limit and then she has to face a man, who is biologically much stronger, so for me I don’t agree with this kind of stuff in sport.”
Current WTA policy
The WTA Tour Gender Participation Policy currently allows transgender women to compete if they have declared their gender as female for at least four years, reduced testosterone levels, and agreed to testing procedures. These conditions may be varied by the WTA Medical Manager on a case-by-case basis. The WTA has not yet responded to Sabalenka’s remarks.
Kyrgios supports Sabalenka
Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios expressed agreement with Sabalenka’s position. “I think she hit the nail on the head,” Kyrgios said, backing her concerns about fairness in competition.
Historical context
There have been no recent examples of transgender players competing in professional tennis. Renee Richards, a transgender athlete, played on the women’s professional tour from 1977 to 1981 before coaching Martina Navratilova, who has herself been a vocal critic of transgender inclusion in women’s sport.
Divided opinions in tennis
While Navratilova has opposed transgender participation, Billie Jean King has taken the opposite stance, arguing that exclusion amounts to discrimination. King, a 12-time Grand Slam singles champion, won the original “battle of the sexes” in 1973 and has long advocated for equality in sport.
Shifts in global regulations
In 2024, Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association barred transgender women from competing in national and inter-club female competitions. Several other sports federations have also introduced rules preventing athletes who have gone through male puberty from competing in elite female categories.
Advocacy groups respond
Transgender advocacy groups argue that excluding trans athletes is discriminatory, while critics maintain that male puberty provides musculoskeletal advantages that transition does not fully mitigate. The debate continues to divide opinion across the sporting world, with tennis now firmly part of the conversation following Sabalenka’s remarks.
Aryna Sabalenka in 2025
LWWWWLWWWW Ranked no.1, Aryna played her last encounter on the 8th of November when she lost to world no.5 Elena Rybakina 6-3 7-6(0) in the final in Riyadh (draw).
Presently, during this year the Belarussian achieved an overall 63-12 match record. The Belarussian has won 4 titles in 2025 in Brisbane, Miami, Madrid and U.S. Open. The Belarussian was the finalist at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Stuttgart, French Open and Riyadh.
