Gender Debate | 03/20/2009 8:50 am
Tennis Player Sarah Gronert in Gender Debate

A young, German tennis player’s making the world reconsider the meaning of "gender."
Sarah Gronert, 22, was born with both male and female genitalia. However, after undergoing surgery, she’s now medically — and legally — a woman.
But, sadly, Gronert still endures constant scrutiny from peers and opponents’ coaches who claim Gronert should not be eligible to compete in the women’s tennis circuits.
"There is no girl who can hit serves like that, not even Venus Williams," said Schlomo Tzoref, the coach of player Julia Glushko, reports Fanhouse. Glushko lost to Gronert in a tournament in Israel in early March. "When I heard her story, I was in shock. I don’t know if it’s fair that she can compete or not. She does have an advantage, but if this is what the WTA have decided, they probably know best. If she begins to play continuously, within six months she will be within the top 50."
Gronert, ranked No. 619 in the world, considered quitting tennis at the age of 19 due to the intense ridicule. Fanhouse says the young woman’s Wikipedia profile has been taken down due to "constant abuse by users."























25 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment
People need to get over themselves. There are somethings you can’t explain, but you shouldn’t punish a child for something they were borned with. I say let her play tennis.
Should we stick labels on different people for different things and say sorry you can’t do this because of this? If we did that, the world would be a sad place to live in.
Sarah you have my support hon. Some people just need to go back to ettiquette school.
James,
That idea of her playing against men might work, after all, in everyday life, some of us play against our menfolk (who like to knock it out of the fence and make it hard to keep a volley going! Sheesh… [these men are not people who know how to play! and I say that with a smile]). Otherwise, I agree with Jean, Sharon and David. Leave this woman to use her talent! It would not be right to allow her NOT to play. It was genetics that made her; she didn’t purposefully come to the world with both kinds of genitals. Finally, the WTA approves of her so she’s also passed that hurdle. Short of hiring a body guard to protect her from stupid thugs and others who would try to prevent her from playing well, I think she should just go for it and keep playing the way she’s playing. Good luck to her!Deber…great advice…just sayin’!!
So ‘internet sleuth’ is also a line on your resume? What is your opinion on people feeling the need to do this?