London: (RightNow) The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) introduces a new policy for professional female tennis competitions. Under this policy, all players must undergo genetic gender testing, without which participation is not possible.

Samples from the inside of players’ cheeks, blood, or saliva will be taken to check for the presence of the ‘SRY gene’. This gene is linked to the ‘Y’ chromosome and plays a role in the development of male physical characteristics.

Only players without this gene in their test results will be eligible to participate in the WTA tour. In case of a positive result, further medical examination will be conducted.

According to the new policy, players must also sign a document stating that refusal to take the test could lead to disciplinary action.

It is noteworthy that under the 2024 policy, transgender women could participate in competitions if they maintained testosterone levels below a certain limit.