After her first-round win at the Canadian Open in Toronto, Coco Gauff spoke to reporters about the WTA Tour's new gene-testing policy. The two-time Grand Slam champion said she understands the policy's intent but expressed concern that the discussion is creating animosity towards the transgender community. Gauff believes the issue requires a more nuanced approach, as reported by infohub.kz.
"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," Gauff said. "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."
These comments come after the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) last month introduced mandatory gene-testing for all players as a requirement to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The testing detects the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development in utero and indicates the presence of testes. It remains unclear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at the Olympic level, let alone on the WTA Tour.
The WTA stated that the policy distinguishes between biological sex and gender identity, and that there is "no intent to disrespect or question the gender identity or the dignity of any person." However, mandatory gender screening, already conducted by the governing bodies of track and field, skiing, and boxing, has been criticized by human rights experts and activist groups.
Gauff questioned the transparency of the process, noting that some players only found out about the new policy when it was announced. She emphasized the need for broader consultation with players in the future.