Coco Gauff believes in fairness in sports — but not attacks on the trans community

Tennis star Coco Gauff called for nuance in response to a new rule from the Women’s Tennis Association that requires its athletes to undergo genetic tests amid the ongoing debate about transgender athletes in women’s sports.

Tennis star Coco Gauff called for nuance in response to a new rule from the Women’s Tennis Association that requires its athletes to undergo genetic tests amid the ongoing debate about transgender athletes in women’s sports.

Many athletes were unaware of the new policy until it was announced in a news release last month, Gauff told reporters at a National Bank Open post-match news conference Wednesday evening. The 22-year-old player said that there could have been more transparency from the WTA but added that she understands the reasoning behind the rule.

Gauff, a two-time major champion, called it “a conversation that is very nuanced.”

“I, I guess, kind of agree with trying to protect the fairness in women’s sports, but also do not like the attack that it is creating —people who don’t really care, but just want to use this as a reason to attack the trans community,” Gauff said. “So I’m not really a big fan of that either.”

She acknowledged that the issue has created “a lot of animosity” toward the transgender community, which she said she supports.