Athletes criticize U.S. Tennis Association’s transgender policy

Female tennis great Martina Navratilova said on Sunday that women’s tennis was not for failed male athletes. Male athlete Alicia Rowley recently won two national tennis championships in the women’s over 55 division, the Independent Council on Women’s Sports reported Saturday on social media. Retired tennis player Kim Shasby Jones also criticized the U.S. Tennis Association, saying its “terrible” policies were “prioritizing the mental health and identity of men” over women who love tennis.

What is the policy? The USTA allows men who identify as women to compete in women’s tennis if they have a verifiable history of hormone treatments. The men have to agree to continue identifying as a woman for at least four years. Males who don’t comply are suspended from competing in the women’s division for a year.

Dig deeper: Read Simon Kennedy’s column in WORLD Opinions about the looming reckoning for the transgender movement.