The Lawn Tennis Association has banned transgender women from competing in any female matches, including internal club competitions.It comes after the Women’s Tennis Association introduced new transgender eligibility rules, backed by world No1 Aryna Sabalenka, which implemented genetic testing in a bid to establish players’ eligibility to compete as a female.Rules were already in place that transgender women could not compete in county, regional and inter-club matches, but clubs were able to use their own policies to decide if competition was allowed in internal matches and competitions.Those rules have now changed, however, following new laws issued by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission this week.Said laws moved in line with the Supreme Court ruling that ‘sex is binary’, with the LTA feeling it had no choice but to expand its regulations. The WTA’s previous policy, meanwhile, permitted biological males to compete in the women’s category if they maintained testosterone levels below a certain level. The Lawn Tennis Association has banned transgender women from competing in any female matches – pictured: Wimbledon finalists Linda Noskova (left) and Karolina Muchova (right)But now a tweak to the rules states that WTA players must undergo a sex screening for the SRY gene, which is found on the Y chromosome and is typically involved in male sex development.Only once they have passed the test – which is completed through a simple cheek swab, blood test or saliva sample – will players be eligible to compete on the female-only WTA Tour.A positive test, meanwhile, will spark further medical assessment before a player is cleared to play against their female rivals. Players must also sign documentation acknowledging that refusal to be tested could result in disciplinary action.Speaking about the move, world No1 Sabalenka was in favour of the changes and said she would have no hesitation in undergoing the testing herself.’It’s very important to maintain fairness in our circuit,’ the 28-year-old said.’It’s obvious that, biologically, men are much stronger than women, so it wouldn’t seem fair to me for a woman to compete against a biological man.’I think it took them a while to make this decision and, yes, I support it.’But I’m concentrating on myself, on my goals, on whatever it takes. If you want to test us all, I will gladly do so, it’s pretty fair, and let’s keep it that way.’ World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka had backed the Women’s Tennis Association’s new transgender eligibility rulesThere have been next to no controversies involving non-binary athletes in tennis or padel – which is also covered by the Lawn Tennis Association – though last December Sabalenka competed in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match with Nick Kyrgios which she lost 6-3, 6-3 in Dubai. That exhibition drew much criticism, with many brandishing it as a publicity stunt that risked trivialising the women’s game.Other organisations, such as World Boxing and World Athletics, have already implemented similar testing for their athletes seeking to compete in the women’s category.The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also confirmed it will sex test athletes ahead of the next Olympic Games, which will be held in Los Angeles in 2028.In its original guidance from 2024, the LTA stated: ‘It is clear that tennis and padel are gender-affected sports – the average man has an advantage when playing against the average woman.’This includes longer levers with which to reach and hit the ball and increased cardio-vascular capacity means being able to get around the court more easily’.