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Sophie Cunningham Said It. Women’s Tennis Turned It Into Politics.

Sophie Cunningham Said It. Women’s Tennis Turned It Into Politics.

Summary

Sophie Cunningham, a WNBA player, said transgender women should not compete in women’s sports because of fairness concerns. At the same time, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) introduced a new rule requiring genetic testing to determine eligibility for female competitions, reflecting a shift toward stricter verification in women’s sports.

Key Facts

  • Sophie Cunningham said transgender women should not compete in women’s sports, framing it as a fairness issue.
  • The WTA’s new policy requires players to take a one-time genetic test for the SRY gene linked to male development.
  • This policy marks a shift from hormone-level management to genetic verification in women’s sports eligibility.
  • Previous WTA rules focused on hormone (testosterone) levels for transgender athletes competing as women.
  • The WTA policy aims to ensure fair competition while promising to treat players with dignity.
  • Other sports bodies, like World Athletics and World Boxing, have introduced similar sex-verification testing.
  • The International Olympic Committee’s 2026 policy will limit female-category eligibility to biological females confirmed by genetic testing.
  • Human Rights Watch criticized broad sex testing, calling it a discriminatory violation of rights and invasive for women athletes.
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