India, Aug. 4 -- World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka addressed the WTA's updated transgender eligibility policy during her Canadian Open press conference in Montreal, openly sharing her views on the new guidelines. The Belarusian star backed the policy, which has faced criticism from pro-trans activists.

The WTA introduced a mandatory one-time genetic test for all players starting July 21 as part of the new eligibility rules. The test checks for the presence of the SRY gene, a DNA segment commonly associated with the Y chromosome. Sabalenka, returning to competition after her post-Wimbledon break ahead of the North American hard-court season, was asked by reporters about her thoughts on the controversial policy.

Aryna Sabalenka Backs WTA's New ...