Transgender women will no longer be allowed to play in some domestic women’s tennis and padel tournaments in England, according to changes to Lawn Tennis Association rules.
The LTA is updating its transgender and non-binary participation policy, but this will not affect participation in Wimbledon or ITF, WTA or ATP tournaments held in the UK.
This policy only applies to English domestic club competitions. Tour event rules will remain set by the relevant governing body.
From January 25, transgender women, registered male at birth, will not be eligible to compete in women’s events in higher level competitions, which usually involve individuals playing against players from other clubs or regions.
The rules do not cover events that take place between players from one venue only – such as club championships or weekend social tournaments. Venues can still decide their own policies in situations like this.
In updating its policy, the LTA said it had to balance “two potentially conflicting responsibilities: the need to ensure” competition in our sport is fair and the responsibility to ensure tennis is welcoming and inclusive for everyone.
They also said they appreciate the “diversity of opinion around this issue” and will continue to review the policy in the coming years.
The WTA’s current Gender Participation Policy, based on 2015 guidelines, is being reviewed in light of the International Olympic Committee’s transgender eligibility framework published in 2021.
Currently, the WTA allows transgender women to participate if they have declared their gender as female for at least four years, have lowered testosterone levels, and consent to testing procedures.
The LPGA Golf Tour recently decided that transgender women who have gone through male puberty will no longer be allowed to compete on the premier golf tour. This follows the England and Wales Cricket Board’s decision last month to say that any player who has gone through male puberty will be ineligible for the top two tiers of the women’s game from 2025.
Other sports governing bodies have also changed their policies in recent years, including athletics, cycling and swimming, by banning transgender athletes from competing in elite women’s competitions.
