"It’s obvious that, biologically, men are much stronger than women": Aryna Sabalenka heavily supports gender testing policy implemented by WTA

The WTA have introduced a new mandatory gender policy which will be put into place this week amid the rise of transgender players in sport in general albeit perhaps more puzzling is the fact that it has not really affected tennis so many have thought as a result why now. But World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka as the flagbearer for the sport has backed the move.

Albeit that is perhaps not a surprise as she is one of the leading critics of this practice in sport after competing in the so-called Battle of the Sexes re-run with Nick Kyrgios earlier in the year. Sabalenka was involved and did media rounds before the event including speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, an outspoken presenter and commentator in the UK sharing her views on this.

For Sabalenka, it was proving a point also but for some it was very much that she was semi setting back a side of the sport in women's tennis that has long clawed for equality and equal prize money. But in this case a defeat to Nick Kyrgios, a former Grand Slam finalist who hadn't played much in two years due to injury was seen as a bit of an aberration.

As expected, though perhaps ahead of her Canadian Open campaign, Sabalenka admitted that she is very much for the new rules, which see players have their blood taken or a cheek swab to confirm their testosterone levels. She said that very much if she is asked to do it she will, and that it doesn't seem fair for women to compete against men. “It’s very important to maintain fairness in our circuit,” she said during her pre-Canadian Open press conference. "It’s obvious that, biologically, men are much stronger than women, so it wouldn’t seem fair to me for a woman to compete against a biological man.

“I think it took them a while to make this decision and, yes, I support it. But I’m concentrating on myself, on my goals, on whatever it takes. If you want to test us all, I will gladly do so, it’s pretty fair, and let’s keep it that way.”

As ever post Wimbledon, Sabalenka who did not play last year in this tournament took a holiday and was seen enjoying the sun with her fiance. But now it's back to work and she said that she takes solace from the clay and grass despite not achieving of course what she set out to do. But now it is about working out the hard courts and getting back to her best as she approaches Canada and Cincinnati.

“It’s a routine,” she said. "It’s a lot of rallies, a lot of basic work, like cross-court shots. I don’t know, it’s like going back to a very small variety of the game. I don’t get too into these angles, drop shots, like the serve and volley, I just get back into the game from the back of the court, I make sure I have a lot of confidence there. And on top of that, I add some variety.”

“I wouldn’t say the clay and grass were that bad. I was trying a couple of things, but they didn’t come out as I expected, and now we’re back to basics. I really hope it works well again on the hard court.”