Sabalenka says transgender women in WTA events ‘not fair’

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka said Tuesday that she considers it “not fair” that the women’s professional tennis tour allows transgender women to compete in WTA tournaments, even though they are currently absent from the elite of world tennis.

Appearing on British host Piers Morgan’s show on Tuesday evening, the Belarusian was asked if she shared the opinion of former world No. 1 Martina Navratilova, who opposes transgender women participating in WTA tournaments.

“That’s a tricky question,” said Sabalenka.

“I have nothing against them but I feel like they have still got a huge advantage over women (who have not undergone gender transition).

“And I think it’s just not fair to a woman to face, biologically men. It’s not fair,” added Sabalenka, who will take on Nick Kyrgios in an exhibition match dubbed ‘The Battle of the Sexes’ in Dubai at the end of December.

“Like the woman has been working her whole life to reach her limit and then she has to face like a man, who is biologically much stronger. So I don’t agree with this kind of stuff in sport,” she added.

The participation of transgender women in WTA tournaments is permitted under certain conditions, one of which is that their blood testosterone concentration has remained below 2.5 nanomoles per litre for the past two years.

They must also submit to the WTA a signed declaration attesting to their female or non-binary gender identity.

In practice, no transgender woman is currently playing a leading role on the WTA tour.

American Renee Richards, born Richard Raskind in 1934, is one of the few transgender tennis players to have competed at the highest level.

After playing the US Open several times in the men’s draw in the 1950s, she embarked on a second career on the women’s tour from the late 1970s into the early part of the following decade.

After retiring from competition in 1981, Richards notably coached Martina Navratilova.