Sabalenka Backs WTA Genetic Screening Rule, Sparking 24-Hour Social Media Backlash
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 4
Sabalenka Backs WTA Genetic Screening Rule, Sparking 24-Hour Social Media Backlash
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 4
Summary
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka said in Montreal that the WTA's new transgender eligibility policy, including genetic screening, is a necessary step to protect fairness on the women's tour.
The comments triggered heavy online debate over the past 24 hours, with supporters praising her for speaking out and critics attacking her stance on transgender participation in women's sports.
Sabalenka's intervention follows the WTA's rollout of screening tied to the SRY gene, a policy she had already endorsed as a way to address biological differences in competition.
The dispute lands amid a wider U.S. fight over transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports, sharpened by a recent Supreme Court decision upholding sports bans.