Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has criticised the Women's Tennis Association for permitting trans women to participate in its competitions, arguing the policy gives them an unfair competitive edge.
The 68-year-old former champion told BBC's Amol Rajan Interviews that current regulations are "wrong" because trans women maintain a "massive advantage" over biological females despite undergoing hormone therapy.
"I think it's wrong," Navratilova stated, challenging the WTA's stance on trans inclusion in women's tennis.
Her comments come as debate continues over trans participation in women's sport, with the tennis icon asserting that physiological advantages persist even after years of hormone treatment.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has criticised the Women's Tennis Association for permitting trans women to participate in its competitions, arguing the policy gives them an unfair competitive edge
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The WTA permits trans players to compete if they sign a declaration confirming they are female or non-binary and maintain testosterone levels below a specified threshold for two years.
The organisation oversees approximately 40 events annually, excluding grand slam tournaments.
Navratilova cited research to support her position, stating: "There have been studies that have shown that even after 15 years of hormone therapy, male bodies still had 20 per cent advantage over female bodies. That's massive in sports."
Martina Navratilova believes trans players have an unfair advantage
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The study she referenced was conducted by a Brazilian university and examined 42 non-athletes.
"You cannot compete with that. So it takes me 20 per cent more to hit the ball just as hard as you. Massive advantage," she added.
Navratilova emphasised that whilst "ostracisation or bullying" of trans athletes was unacceptable, she believed they should compete in male categories rather than women's events.
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"Male bodies need to play in male sports. They just need to compete in the proper category, which is the male category. It's that simple," she said.
"But by including male bodies in the women's tournament, now somebody is not getting into the tournament. A woman is not going into the tournament because now a male has taken her place."
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Navratilova, known for her gay rights and equality campaigning, acknowledged she had been "jettisoned" by many LGBT groups after previously describing trans athletes as "cheats".
Navratilova argued that tennis should "100 per cent" follow the UK Supreme Court's recent ruling that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.
Martina Navratilova won 18 Grand Slams during her tennis career
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She positioned sport as a catalyst for positive change, stating: "Sports has always been on the front of social change and social progress, and this way we can be on it again in affirming the right of women and girls to sex-based spaces, and being on the right side of history."
The 2021 UK Sports Councils' assessment of multiple studies similarly concluded that trans women retain advantages over biological females in some sports despite testosterone suppression, though other research has indicated trans athletes face physical disadvantages in other areas.
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