LTA bans trans women from all matches

LTA extends ban across all competitive play

Transgender women are now prohibited from competing in all female competitive matches in both tennis and padel, the Lawn Tennis Association has confirmed.

The governing body had previously enforced restrictions at county and national tournament level, as well as inter-club fixtures. However, individual clubs retained the freedom to set their own policies for internal competitions - a loophole that has now been closed entirely.

EHRC guidance forces hand

The shift follows fresh guidance from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, which replaced its 2011 position. That updated stance draws on a Supreme Court ruling affirming the binary definition of sex, as GB News reports.

Armed with that legal clarity, the LTA has moved to apply a blanket rule rather than leaving any discretion with local clubs.

Closing the gap

It is a significant tightening of the sport's framework. Where club-level competitions once operated in a grey area, the policy now covers every tier of competitive matchplay without exception.

The decision places tennis among a growing number of sports in Britain to draw firm lines on transgender participation in women's categories following the Supreme Court's landmark interpretation of sex in law.