LTA bans transgender women from some female domestic tennis and padel tournaments
Trans women will no longer be allowed to compete in some women’s domestic tennis and cricket tournaments in the UK under 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 championships in the UK.
This policy only applies to UK domestic inter-club competitions. Rules for tourism activities will continue to be set by the relevant governing bodies.
From January 25, transgender women who were recorded as male at birth will be ineligible to compete in women’s events at higher levels of competition, which often involve individuals pitting themselves against players from other clubs or counties.
These rules do not apply to events that take place solely between players at one venue, such as club tournaments or weekend social tournaments. In this case, venues can still decide on their own policies.
The LTA said that in updating the policy 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”.
It also said it appreciated the “difference of opinion around the matter” and would keep the policy under review in the coming years.
The current WTA gender participation policy is based on 2015 guidance and is currently being reviewed in light of the International Olympic Committee’s Transgender Qualifications Framework to be published in 2021.
Currently, the WTA allows trans women to participate if they have declared their gender as female for at least four years, have lowered their testosterone levels and agree to undergo testing procedures.
The LPGA recently decided that transgender women who have gone through male puberty will no longer be allowed to compete on the leading golf tour. The England and Wales Cricket Board decided last month that any players who have gone through male puberty will be ineligible to play in the top two tiers of the women’s game from 2025.
Governing bodies in other sports have also changed policies in recent years, including in athletics, cycling and swimming, to ban transgender athletes from competing in elite women’s competitions.
