World No1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka ‘doesn’t agree’ with trans athletes in women’s sport

Aryna Sabalenka has shared her view on the inclusion of trans athletes in sport saying, “it’s not fair” for women to face – in her words – “biological men”.

The world’s number one female tennis player, 27, offered her opinion the “tricky questions” while appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Tuesday (9 December) alongside fellow tennis player Nick Kyrgios.

The two were there to promote their ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match where, ironically, Sabalenka will be facing a man.

Asked about trans athletes competing in sport, Sabalenka said, “I have nothing to do against [the trans community] but I feel like they still got a huge advantage over the women and I think it’s just not fair to a women to face basically biological men.”

She then added: “It’s not fair. The woman has been working her whole life to reach her limit and then she has to face a man, who is biologically much stronger so for me I don’t agree with this kind of stuff in sport.”

Asked for this thoughts Kyrgios said: “I feel the exact same way.”

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) currently allows trans women to participate if they provide a written and signed declaration that their gender is female or non-binary and have had a blood testosterone level below nanomoles per litre for the previous two years.

The WTA’s policy also stipulates that “legal recognition of the player’s female or non-binary identity” is “not required” to compete in women’s games.

However, there have been no examples of trans players playing in professional competitions in recent years. Studies have also shown that trans athletes have no edge at elite level.

The trans tennis player, Renee Richards played on the WTA tour between 1977 and 1981 before catching Martina Navratilova, a queer player and outspoken opponent of trans inclusion in sport. Meanwhile, tennis and lesbian icon, Billie Jean King, has been pro-trans inclusion.

Morgan also asked Sabalenka about comments made by Marta Kostyuk that she had an advantage over other female players due to a higher level of testosterone.

“All I hear here is just excuses,” said the Belarusian. “It’s actually quite funny, because she [Kostyuk] is a strong girl, and she probably has more muscles than I do and she looks fit and strong.”

Sabalenka added, “[a difference in testosterone levels] is not the case in all the matches she lost against top players.”

In 2024, Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association barred trans women from competing at some national and inter-club women’s competitions.

Meanehile, rising Swiss tennis player Mika Brunold recently came out as gay in a heartwarming message posted to Instagram, making him just the second out gay man on the ATP tour.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.