Gauff Toes The Line on WTA Genetic Screening Policy, While Calling for Trans Rights

The WTA’s updated eligibility policy, which requires all players to undergo a mandatory, one-time genetic screening for the SRY gene—a DNA segment typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development – is slated to begin this month. 

When the news broke, the tour stated the update is designed to “promote equal athletic opportunities in women’s professional tennis and maintain fair competition” by grounding eligibility in biological sex. The news was met with protest on social media, with many calling the testing unnecessary and deeming the decision politically motivated. 

Players, many of them queried this week at the National Bank Open in Montreal, seem to be rather neutral. 

Most notably Coco Gauff, always eager to speak from the heart, toed the line between for and against, but made sure that she expressed her belief that she’s for trans rights. 

She also said that a lot of players didn’t really find out about the decision until the press release was issued on July 20. 

“I know it’s been something that’s been talked about awhile,” she said. “But I’ve talked to a couple other players, and a lot of them didn’t find out until the press release. So I do think that’s something that could have been more transparent amongst players across the tour.” 

Gauff says she understood the decision, but regrets that it has created ill will against the trans community. 

“I understand the reasoning behind it,” she said. “I do think that this kind of conversation has created a lot of animosity towards the trans community, [animosity] which I’m not really a big fan of, but I also understand the biological difference and the need to protect that and preserve that.” 

A complicated problem. A complicated decision. A complicated reaction. 

“I think it’s a conversation that is very nuanced,” Gauff said. “And it creates [the need to] need to have a nuanced answer.” 

Gauff particularly does not like the way the issue gets debated in the public sphere with politically motivated factions who are not educated on the topic using the debate to spread misinformation or hate. 

“I guess I kind of agree with trying to protect the fairness in women’s sports,” she said. “But I also do not like the attack that it is creating. People who don’t really care, but just want to use this as a reason to attack the trans community. So I’m not really a big fan of that either.” 

She admits it is a difficult question to answer without risking getting hammered on social media. 

“I don’t really know how to answer this question in a way that people aren’t going to spin it,” she said. “But as far as where I stand, I definitely support the trans community, but I also support the need of creating fairness in sport, too.

Other players were not as forthcoming, and some chose sides clearly. Here are a sampling of the reactions in press from earlier this week: 

Elena Rybakina: “I won’t say it’s unnecessary, but I think it was also fine without these tests. But if we need to do it, we will do it.”

Belinda Bencic: “I completely stand behind the decision of the WTA and the new policy, so I’m really happy that we are going to do this.”

Jessic Pegula: “I think the WTA just wanted to update their policy based on what they have seen from other sporting organizations.So far, at least from my point of view, I don’t really have any pushback on it. I think I haven’t heard, even being on council, no players have really mentioned or said anything about it.

“Now that it’s been announced, I think we’ll see. Obviously now that we are here in Toronto, a bigger tournament, and going into Cincy when the testing starts, we’ll see if there’s any more feedback.

“I think so far no one’s really said anything, and I think it’s more just the tour making a decision updating it, and it kind of is what it is.”