Lawn Tennis Association Bans Transgender Women from Most UK Domestic Female Competitions

The new policy, effective January 25, 2025, aims to balance competitive fairness and inclusion, citing physiological advantages in gender-affected sports.

• The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) will prohibit transgender women and non-binary individuals assigned male at birth from competing in female categories in most domestic tennis tournaments in Britain starting January 25, 2025.
• The decision applies to inter-club and national competitions in tennis and padel but excludes international events like Wimbledon, which follow separate governing rules.
• The LTA cited physiological advantages, such as longer levers and increased cardiovascular capacity, as reasons for the policy, stating these factors create an unfair competitive edge in gender-affected sports.
• Local, intra-venue events like club championships and social tournaments will retain the autonomy to set their own policies, emphasizing inclusivity and community engagement.
• This policy follows an 18-month review process involving consultations with stakeholders and aligns with similar measures in other sports like swimming, cycling, and athletics.

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