SerpApi.Org
Former tennis player Martina Navratilova has shown her support for the Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) new sex testing policy designed to stop trans women from participating in the sport on a professional level.
The new policy requires all players to undergo genetic sex testing to remain eligible to compete, despite there being no known transgender women anywhere in professional tennis.
Under the updated policy, players will have to pass a one-time screening for the SRY gene, which helps determine biological sex, via a cheek swab or blood test. The WTA confirmed the change to Reuters, saying screening would begin in 2026 and that it was committed to “treating all players with dignity.”
Navratilova, who called trans women who play tennis “failed male athletes” in 2023, backed the decision through a series of posts shared to X on 20 July.
One of the posts came as a reply to a tennis fan expressing her disappointment at the news.
“As a queer tennis fan, I feel so ashamed to have even supported this organisation,” the fan wrote. “I stand with ALL women who play tennis and sport and only hope the women of the WTA refuse to do such invasive, transphobic tests. I support trans people. End of.”
Navratilova then replied, writing: “WTA supports all women. As in females. There is no such thing as an invasive transphobic test – just a once in a lifetime cheek swab – takes all of three seconds. Got it? Males are free to play in the men’s tournaments however they might identify. Simple.”
The original poster then replied to dispute Navratilova’s claim. “The collection of such data on women itself feels invasive and the prospects of the tests are inherently transphobic, there are no biological males trying to play for the WTA either,” she said.
Navratilova then served a retort. “It’s not a collection of data. Nothing transphobic about a sex test cheek swab. And if you think that’s invasive, try peeing in front of a stranger, lol,” she wrote, seemingly referring to the sex testing methods professional women’s tennis players underwent in the 1970s to ban trans player Renée Richards from competing.
The former tennis player’s thoughts were met with disdain from other X users.
“So when people were calling you a man while you played tennis (and they still regularly do), would you have been happy to have your womanhood tested by a little swab in the cheek? Can we test for how much testosterone is in your body and have it publicly shared? Simple enough?” wrote one.
“You played doubles with Renée Richards, what changed?” asked another, to which Navratilova replied: “Absolutely nothing.”
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
