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The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) introduced mandatory gender screening for all players in late July.
“The WTA’s women’s eligibility policy is designed to promote equal athletic opportunities in women’s professional tennis and maintain fair competition for all players participating in WTA tournaments,” the governing body said. “The WTA recognizes that this is a sensitive and complex issue and is committed to treating all players with dignity and implementing the policy in a respectful and thoughtful way.” There are no known transgender women competing on the WTA tour.
At the Canadian Open, the biggest tournament since the policy was introduced, many top players have been asked about their opinion. While some, like world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, have been enthusiastic about the policy (she said that she “feels like it would be not really fair for the woman to compete against biological man.”), Coco Gauff used her platform to speak out in solidarity with transgender people.
“I understand the reasoning behind it. I do think that this kind of conversation has created a lot of animosity towards the trans community, which I’m not really a big fan of,” she said after her opening round win at the Canadian Open. “I also understand, I guess, the biological difference and the need to protect that and preserve that. So I think it’s a conversation that is very nuanced, and I need to have a nuanced answer.”
Gauff added, “So, yes, I guess I kind of agree with trying to protect the fairness in women’s sports. 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 also said the process “could have been more transparent” to share the policy with players.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.