Sabalenka Opposes Transgender Players: It’s Not Fair to a Woman to Basically Face Biological Man

By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Photo credits: Cincinnati Open Facebook

Aryna Sabalenka adamantly opposes transgender tennis players competing on the WTA Tour.

In a joint interview with Nick Kyrgios on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Sabalenka was asked her stance on transgender women playing women’s tennis.

World No. 1 Sabalenka said she’s firmly against it because it creates an unequal playing field.

“It’s just not fair to a woman to basically face a biological man,” Sabalenka told Piers Morgan.

“I have nothing to do against them [transgender athletes], but I feel they still have a huge advantage over the woman,” Sabalenka said. “And I think it’s just not fair to a woman to basically face a biological man.”

The two-time reigning US Open champion said her position comes down to fair play.

“It’s not fair,” Sabalenka said. “A woman is working their whole life to reach her limit and then she has to face like a man, which is biologically much stronger.

“So for me I don’t agree with this stuff in sport.”

Sabalenka’s comments echo remarks former world No. 1 Martina Navratilova has repeatedly made. Hall of Famer Navratilova has said it’s “insane” and “cheating” to permit transgender women to compete against biological women.

Two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka also struck back at criticism Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk made in an interview in October when she said Sabalenka had a strength and size advantage and suggested the world No. 1 may well have a higher testosterone level as well, contributing to her success on court.

“When I look at these players, I have my own skills, but at the end of the day, they are all much bigger than me, much taller than me, much stronger than me,” Kostyuk said. “We all have different biological structures. Some have a higher level of testosterone, some have lower.

“It’s just natural, they don’t take anything. I’m sure of that. It’s just the biology of their body.”

Asked by Piers Morgan her response to Kostyuk’s comments, Sabalenka shot back “all I hear here is just excuses.”

“That’s so funny that we have even talk about someone like Marta Kostyuk comments,” Sabalenka said. “But all I hear here is just excuses.

“It’s actually quite funny because she’s a strong girl. She probably has more muscles than I do. She looks fit and strong and I think that’s not the case in all of the matches she lost against the top players…I think that’s not the key in sport.”

"All I hear here is just excuses… she probably has more muscles than I do!"

Aryna Sabalenka responds to Marta Kostyuk's claims that she has 'higher testosterone'.

Watch more 👇

📺 https://t.co/tP8k3DkRTN@piersmorgan | @SabalenkaA | @NickKyrgios pic.twitter.com/sTzQrhZXXP

— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) December 9, 2025

When Morgan observed Sabalenka posted bikini images on Instagram in the aftermath of Kostyuk’s comments, Sabalenka replied: “I just wanted to make sure that she sees the real picture.”

Sabalenka and Kyrgios squared off in mixed doubles at the Garden Cup on Monday night with Kyrgios and Naomi Osaka edging Sabalenka and Tommy Paul in a Fast4 set.

The Battle of the Sexes clash between two-time US Open champion Sabalenka and former Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios is set for December 28th at the Coca Cola Arena in Dubai.