Transgender tennis stars to be banned from playing in female category as LTA lay down law

From next month, transgender women will be prohibited from participating in the female category in most domestic tennis competitions in Britain. The current rules of the Lawn Tennis Association permit players to self-identify.

However, from January 25, 2025, trans women and non-binary individuals assigned male at birth will only be permitted to compete in the male category in specified competitions.

These include leagues and tournaments in tennis and padel involving players from various clubs and venues, ranging from national championships to local level.

Club championships and social tournaments, designated as non-specified events, will allow individual venues to determine their own policy.

The LTA does not have authority over international events such as Wimbledon or ATP, WTA or International Tennis Federation tournaments, so this policy will only apply to domestic tennis.

Currently, trans women can compete in the female category in WTA and ITF events if they meet testosterone level restrictions.

Despite the LTA’s core strategy of making tennis accessible to all sections of society, it has cited physiological male advantages, including longer levers and increased cardiovascular capacity, as reasons for its policy change.

“It is clear that tennis and padel are gender-affected sports – the average man has an advantage when playing against the average woman,” read a statement.

“The current broad consensus, including the conclusion of the review carried out by the Sports Councils Equality Group, is that this advantage is likely to be retained to a significant degree in trans women, making competition potentially unfair.

“We are changing our policy to restrict trans women and non-binary individuals assigned male at birth from playing in the women’s category in Specified, inter-venue, competitions.

“We want to encourage local venues to ensure that they are as inclusive as possible for trans and non-binary individuals, providing opportunities to compete in a friendly environment. In line with this, our own Local Tennis Leagues product (largely played in parks) will remain fully inclusive.”

The new policy is the result of an 18-month process involving consultation with affected groups and other sports, and the LTA pledged to review the policy going forward.

“We recognise the diversity of opinion around this matter and would like to assure the tennis community that the LTA will continue to listen to all views and keep the policy under review in response to emerging research and data, and further guidance from other relevant bodies,” the statement concluded.