Jessica Pegula, the world's No. 3 women's tennis player, confirmed Wednesday that the WTA Tour's new genetic sex testing program has begun, with testing underway this week at the Cincinnati Open. The main draw starts Thursday.
Pegula, who sits on the WTA Players Council, said she heard the rollout went quietly. "I know some of the testing has started this week," Pegula said. "And so far, I've heard it's been very easy, it's been very simple, no complaints."
The WTA formally announced the policy change in July, requiring a one-time genetic sex test for all players. The policy is based on biological sex and effectively bars transgender women from competing on the tour. The WTA's board approved the change following what it described as consultation with WTA members and a review of evolving standards across women's sport.
Pegula said the policy was not sprung on players without warning. She said the WTA spent roughly a year discussing the change with the tour's membership, gathering feedback and distributing educational material about the testing process. "It definitely wasn't something that was kind of brought all on us out of nowhere here in Cincinnati," Pegula said.
On player reaction, Pegula said she has not heard pushback from anyone in the locker room. "I think it's a hot topic right now, but I think the tour is doing a pretty good job and players seem to be okay with everything," she said. The WTA declined to comment when contacted for a response.
The WTA's shift follows a related move by the International Olympic Committee, which announced it will begin SRY gene testing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The SRY gene test identifies the presence of the Y chromosome's sex-determining region, which is typically found in biological males. The WTA's new policy draws on the same biological marker.
Not everyone in the scientific community backs the SRY gene as a clean dividing line for sport eligibility. Andrew Sinclair, the geneticist who originally discovered the SRY gene, wrote last year that using it to define a woman in sports is misguided and overly simplistic. Sinclair's position reflects a broader scientific debate about the relationship between genetics, physiology and athletic performance that sport's governing bodies have not fully resolved.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka publicly endorsed the WTA's new rule last week in Canada. "I think it's really important to keep the fairness in our tour," Sabalenka said. Her statement aligns with the WTA board's stated rationale for the policy.
Coco Gauff, one of the top-ranked American players, offered a more layered position. Gauff said she supports the principle of fairness in women's sports but expressed concern that the debate has produced hostility toward transgender people. "As far as where I stand, I definitely support the trans community, but I also support the need of creating fairness in sport too," Gauff said last week in Canada.
The WTA's policy statement acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue directly, writing that the tour "recognizes the issue is sensitive and complex." What remains unclear is whether testing will extend beyond Cincinnati to other tour events and exactly when players are required to complete it.
The gender eligibility conversation has spread beyond tennis. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham addressed the topic in a July ESPN interview, saying she wants to protect young girls in sport and in locker rooms. The WNBA has not announced a policy change matching what the WTA put in place.
Pegula's account—no complaints, no drama—gives the tour an early baseline. Whether the rollout stays this smooth as it extends across the full calendar is the next real question the organization has to answer.
