The WTA is hopping on the testing train, shifting to require all players to undergo gene testing in order to participate in any tour event, including Grand Slams.
Starting today, players must submit to a one-time SRY gene test via blood sample or cheek swab, with a positive result rendering a player ineligible unless she can prove she has Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome or another qualifying Difference of Sexual Development.
The news arrived quietly, with the WTA declining to issue a press release, disclose its reasoning, or say if it consulted medical experts or athletes before instituting the mandate.
The move follows the IOC’s recent inclusion policy reversal, which drew criticism from both doctors and athletes who warned it would harm Olympic competition, while World Boxing and World Athletics adopted similar rules in 2025.
