Overview
- Players confirmed that genetic testing has started at the Cincinnati Open, with Jessica Pegula saying Wednesday that early procedures have been simple and without reported complaints.
- The WTA board approved the change in July to require a one-time SRY gene test for eligibility, replacing the previous testosterone-based criteria.
- The SRY test is conducted by a cheek swab or blood sample and the tour says it will be treated as a confidential, one-time process handled with dignity.
- Scientists and rights groups have pushed back, with SRY discoverer Andrew Sinclair calling the test overly simplistic and the Sport & Rights Alliance urging the WTA to drop the policy as discriminatory.
- Key questions remain about where and when testing will be required beyond Cincinnati, how narrow medical exceptions will be applied, and whether the policy will face legal challenges as other federations follow the same approach.