{"id":27335,"date":"2026-08-04T13:34:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T08:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27335"},"modified":"2026-08-04T13:34:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T08:34:49","slug":"tennis-star-aryna-sabalenka-supports-wta-transgender-rules-says-males-shouldnt-face-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27335","title":{"rendered":"Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka supports WTA transgender rules, says males shouldn&#8217;t face women"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758823\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/sports\/tennis\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Tennis<\/a> World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka didn&#8217;t mince words during her Canadian Open press conference in Montreal when asked about the WTA&#8217;s new transgender eligibility policy.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">The Belarusian star threw her support behind the guidelines, which have been criticized by <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758824\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/valkyries-coach-natalie-nakase-defends-trans-athletes-womens-sports-culture-war-engulfs-league\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">pro-trans activists<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/aryna-sabalenka-us-open-semifinal-tennis.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/aryna-sabalenka-us-open-semifinal-tennis.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/aryna-sabalenka-us-open-semifinal-tennis.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/aryna-sabalenka-us-open-semifinal-tennis.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/aryna-sabalenka-us-open-semifinal-tennis.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Aryna Sabalenka celebrates match point during the U.S. Open women's singles semifinal.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates match point against Emma Navarro of the United States during their women&#8217;s singles semifinal match on Day 11 of the 2024 U.S. Open on Sept. 5, 2024, at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, New York City.<\/span> <span>(Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">When asked for her thoughts, Sabalenka responded, &#8220;I think it&#8217;s really important to keep the fairness in our tour.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758825\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/womens-tennis-legend-speaks-california-trans-athlete-controversy-newsom-faces-criticism\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>WOMEN&#8217;S TENNIS LEGEND SPEAKS OUT ON CALIFORNIA TRANS ATHLETE CONTROVERSY AS NEWSOM FACES CRITICISM<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Biologically, men are way stronger than women, so I feel like it would not really be fair for women to compete against biological men,&#8221; she added.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">She called the measure a fair and necessary step to protect the women&#8217;s tour, saying the WTA &#8220;took them a little while to make this decision&#8221; but that she supports the policy.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Addressing the requirement for players to undergo a one-time <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758826\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/genetics\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">genetic screening<\/a> for the SRY gene on the Y chromosome, Sabalenka made her position clear.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;If they want to test us all, I&#8217;m happy to do that. It&#8217;s pretty fair, and let&#8217;s keep it that way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">After years of agenda-driven sports media, athletes themselves are fed up with administrators dancing around biological reality. Without clear, sex-based boundaries, the entire rationale for a protected women&#8217;s category completely collapses.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">For years, governing bodies dragged their feet, attempting to appease bad-faith critics while female athletes paid the price.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/aryna-sabalenka-australian-open-quarterfinal.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/aryna-sabalenka-australian-open-quarterfinal.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/aryna-sabalenka-australian-open-quarterfinal.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/aryna-sabalenka-australian-open-quarterfinal.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/aryna-sabalenka-australian-open-quarterfinal.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning match point against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning match point against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the women&#8217;s singles quarterfinal during day 10 of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 21, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia.<\/span> <span>(Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The WTA finally drew a firm line in the sand, anchoring the sport back to a fundamental premise: women\u2019s sports exist specifically because biological sex matters at all <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758827\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/entertainment\/genres\/competition\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">levels of competition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Sabalenka is <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758828\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/softball-hall-famer-sends-blunt-warning-defending-inclusion-biological-males-female-sports\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">far from alone<\/a> in making this stand. Her comments mirror those of 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, who routinely dismantles online outrage over the WTA&#8217;s protocol. Navratilova silenced the critics with logic: the WTA was created for biological females, and the men&#8217;s division remains open to any male athlete who wants to play.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758829\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/martina-navratilova-billie-jean-kings-trans-athlete-tennis\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>MARTINA NAVRATILOVA SAYS BILLIE JEAN KING\u2019S TRANS-ATHLETE STANCE \u2018DOESN\u2019T SQUARE\u2019 WITH HER OWN WORDS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">From bone density and muscle mass to heart size and lung capacity, male puberty confers undeniable physical advantages that training alone can never bridge.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Protecting the female category isn&#8217;t about exclusion, it exists for the exact same reason weight classes do: to ensure <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758830\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/sports\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">fair competition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/aryna-sabalenka-returns-shot-us-open.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/aryna-sabalenka-returns-shot-us-open.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/aryna-sabalenka-returns-shot-us-open.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/aryna-sabalenka-returns-shot-us-open.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/aryna-sabalenka-returns-shot-us-open.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot against Cristina Bucsa during a women's singles tennis match.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot against Cristina Bucsa of Spain during their women&#8217;s singles fourth-round match on Day Eight of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, New York City, on Aug. 31, 2025.<\/span> <span>(Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Step back from the tennis court, and a clear shift is happening across the entire athletic landscape. Fans are starving for athletes who refuse to hide behind PR scripts.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The same dynamic played out earlier this summer when <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758831\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/sophie-cunningham-rally-rocks-wnba-game-save-womens-sports-activists-face-counterprotest\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham<\/a> offered a straightforward defense of women&#8217;s basketball, drawing widespread public support.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">When female athletes defend their hard-earned categories without apology, fans respond in droves.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Sabalenka didn&#8217;t step to the microphone looking to make a political statement. She simply defended the integrity of her sport.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">By backing the WTA&#8217;s policy without hesitation, the world&#8217;s top player drew a line that should never have been blurred: keeping women&#8217;s sports female isn&#8217;t a <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758833\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/opinion\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">political debate<\/a>; it&#8217;s basic common sense.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/sabalenka-paul-osaka-kyrgios-garden-cup.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/sabalenka-paul-osaka-kyrgios-garden-cup.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/sabalenka-paul-osaka-kyrgios-garden-cup.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/sabalenka-paul-osaka-kyrgios-garden-cup.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/sabalenka-paul-osaka-kyrgios-garden-cup.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Aryna Sabalenka and Tommy Paul congratulate Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios after winning a mixed doubles match.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Aryna Sabalenka and Tommy Paul congratulate Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios on winning their mixed doubles match during the Garden Cup at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 8, 2025.<\/span> <span>(Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Send us your thoughts: <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758834\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/mailto:alejandro.avila@outkick.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">alejandro.avila@outkick.com<\/a> \/ Follow along on X: @<a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_758835\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlejandroAveela\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">alejandroaveela<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Alejandro Avila is a longtime writer at OutKick, living in Southern California.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tennis World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka didn&#8217;t mince words during her Canadian Open press conference in Montreal when asked about the WTA&#8217;s new transgender eligibility policy. The Belarusian star threw her support behind the guidelines, which have been criticized by pro-trans activists. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates match point against Emma Navarro of the United&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27336,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aryna-sabalenka-us-open-semifinal-tennis.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}