Tennis World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka didn’t mince words during her Canadian Open press conference in Montreal when asked about the WTA’s new transgender eligibility policy.
The Belarusian star threw her support behind the guidelines, which have been criticized by pro-trans activists.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates match point against Emma Navarro of the United States during their women’s singles semifinal match on Day 11 of the 2024 U.S. Open on Sept. 5, 2024, at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, New York City. (Getty Images)
When asked for her thoughts, Sabalenka responded, “I think it’s really important to keep the fairness in our tour.”
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“Biologically, men are way stronger than women, so I feel like it would not really be fair for women to compete against biological men,” she added.
She called the measure a fair and necessary step to protect the women’s tour, saying the WTA “took them a little while to make this decision” but that she supports the policy.
Addressing the requirement for players to undergo a one-time genetic screening for the SRY gene on the Y chromosome, Sabalenka made her position clear.
“If they want to test us all, I’m happy to do that. It’s pretty fair, and let’s keep it that way.”
After years of agenda-driven sports media, athletes themselves are fed up with administrators dancing around biological reality. Without clear, sex-based boundaries, the entire rationale for a protected women’s category completely collapses.
For years, governing bodies dragged their feet, attempting to appease bad-faith critics while female athletes paid the price.
Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning match point against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the women’s singles quarterfinal during day 10 of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 21, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Getty Images)
The WTA finally drew a firm line in the sand, anchoring the sport back to a fundamental premise: women’s sports exist specifically because biological sex matters at all levels of competition.
Sabalenka is far from alone in making this stand. Her comments mirror those of 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, who routinely dismantles online outrage over the WTA’s protocol. Navratilova silenced the critics with logic: the WTA was created for biological females, and the men’s division remains open to any male athlete who wants to play.
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From bone density and muscle mass to heart size and lung capacity, male puberty confers undeniable physical advantages that training alone can never bridge.
Protecting the female category isn’t about exclusion, it exists for the exact same reason weight classes do: to ensure fair competition.
Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot against Cristina Bucsa of Spain during their women’s singles fourth-round match on Day Eight of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, New York City, on Aug. 31, 2025. (Getty Images)
Step back from the tennis court, and a clear shift is happening across the entire athletic landscape. Fans are starving for athletes who refuse to hide behind PR scripts.
The same dynamic played out earlier this summer when Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham offered a straightforward defense of women’s basketball, drawing widespread public support.
When female athletes defend their hard-earned categories without apology, fans respond in droves.
Sabalenka didn’t step to the microphone looking to make a political statement. She simply defended the integrity of her sport.
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By backing the WTA’s policy without hesitation, the world’s top player drew a line that should never have been blurred: keeping women’s sports female isn’t a political debate; it’s basic common sense.
Aryna Sabalenka and Tommy Paul congratulate Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios on winning their mixed doubles match during the Garden Cup at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 8, 2025. (Getty Images)
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