The Women’s Tennis Association just dropped a bombshell policy, requiring genetic sex testing for all players. It’s wild to think about, especially because the only openly transgender player in pro tennis history, Renée Richards, who successfully sued for her right to compete as a woman in the 1977 U.S. Open, is reportedly now supporting these kinds of bans. Talk about a plot twist nobody saw coming.
The Fight That Rocked Tennis in the ’70s
Richards became the first out trans professional athlete in the United States when she won that landmark lawsuit. She’d surgically transitioned in 1975, but after she was publicly outed, the WTA, the USTA, and the U.S. Open Committee tried to make female competitors verify their sex with a chromosomal test, a Barr body test. Richards refused for the 1976 U.S. Open, got barred from playing, and immediately sued. A federal judge granted her an injunction, and she was in for 1977. She lost in the first round of singles, yeah, but she made it to the doubles final with Betty Ann Stuart. That was the highest point of her career, which peaked at a No. 20 singles ranking. Julie Kliegman, who’s writing a biography about Richards, says she “was good, but she wasn’t this dominant force.” Honestly, that’s what makes her acceptance back then even more remarkable. Kliegman points out that Billie Jean King’s leadership helped Richards get accepted, and after the lawsuit, her inclusion on tour was “pretty widely uncontroversial,” despite some initial backlash. Seems like the sports world handled it with more grace back then than some give credit for.
What’s Happening Now With Richards and the Broader Debate
Richards, who’s 91 now, retired from her ophthalmology practice a few years ago. She’s been watching the current debate from the sidelines, and Kliegman notes that while Richards partly wants it that way, it can also be frustrating for her because she has unique experience and knowledge that isn’t always part of these conversations. Kliegman’s upcoming biography, “Finding Renée Richards: The Groundbreaking Story of Tennis’s Trans Pioneer,” hits shelves on August 18th. It explores Richards’ life before and after her transition, and Kliegman, who is non-binary and trans, connects Richards’ story to the current political climate where “trans athletes are under attack.” With President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers pushing to restrict transgender participation in U.S. athletics, and new genetic testing policies like the WTA’s rolling out, Richards’ surprising stance just makes this whole situation even more complex.
This whole debate isn’t slowing down, and with Kliegman’s book dropping soon, it’s gonna dig even deeper. It’s a reminder that the fight for trans athletes’ rights is far from over, and it’s evolving in ways nobody expected.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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