Game, set match for male cheats
Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) bars men from women's game.
Men will be barred from competing in women’s tennis competitions at clubs across Britain under new rules announced by the Lawn Tennis Association.
From September 1, men who identify as trans or non-binary will no longer be eligible for the female category in any organised, sex-segregated competition governed by the LTA.
The governing body said it was tightening its rules following the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s new Code of Practice on the Equality Act.
The LTA already barred males from women’s competitions between different clubs and counties. However, clubs had previously been free to decide whether to allow them into female-only competitions held within their own venues.
The new rules extend the restriction to club championships, leagues and other structured competitions. The LTA said tennis was a “gender-affected activity”, citing differences in strength, power and endurance between the sexes, and said testosterone suppression did not eliminate the performance advantages of male biology.
Social and other non-structured play will remain unaffected.
The policy also states that women’s changing rooms at LTA-controlled venues will be restricted to females, while men’s facilities will be restricted to males.
The rules apply to domestic competition under LTA jurisdiction. International events held in Britain, including Wimbledon, are governed separately.