Renée Richards, the first man to claim transsexual status and compete in women’s sports during the 1970s, has recently admitted his past actions were selfish. “I was selfish. I was looking out for myself. I was trying to do, first of all, what was good for me and making me happy, and only secondly, what was fair for the world,” he stated in a recent interview.
Richards began competing in women’s tennis after undergoing gender-affirming surgery in 1975. He won the La Jolla Championship in 1976 but faced national scrutiny when his participation became public. A New York Supreme Court ruling in 1977 classified him as female, enabling him to continue in women’s sports.
By age 45, Richards achieved a world ranking of 19 in women’s tennis and reached the doubles final at the 1977 U.S. Open. He later admitted that defeating Nancy Richey, a Hall of Fame player who had won the French Open, made him question the fairness of his participation.
Richards has acknowledged misconceptions about testosterone levels during early development affecting athletic performance but remains supportive of policies allowing individuals with transgender identities to compete in women’s sports.