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Aryna Sabalenka’s much-talked about Battle of the Sexes match against Nick Kyrgios didn’t live up to the hype so was it worth the effort? Did they earn any prize money for their efforts?

The Evolve athlete management agency had gone into overdrive to promote the exhibition match at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai as they organised interviews on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the BBC and a host of other broadcasters.

The build-up was more in line with a pre-match boxing weigh-in and, to be fair, they did get the attention of the world as the encounter was aired on BBC Sport and several other major networks with not too many other live sporting events taking place on the day.

The Coco-Cola Arena was sold out, although it has to be added that the 17,000 capacity venue was reduced to 6,000 seats, and keeping with the boxing theme, the entrances were spectacular.

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But the show itself was far from spectacular as the modified rules and smaller court – Sabalenka’s side was reduced by 9% which meant Kyrgios had to adjust his hitting quite a bit – and the colour of the drop-in court did not make for ideal viewing.

In the end, Kyrgios emerged with a 6-3, 6-3 victory so did they manage to inflate their bank balances after four weeks of PR work?

Money Matters

Ahead of the match, Evolve co-founder Stuart Duguid was asked by Ben Rothenberg, Bounces: “I assume there’s no prize money at stake for the winner of this? It’s just a pure ‘exhibition’?”

And the reply was: “Just for pride, yeah.”

In an email conversation with Front Office Sport, the question of money was also raised and Duguid insisted: “The battle is for pride, curated by progressive innovation.”

Despite Duguid’s comments, few believe that Sabalenka and Kyrgios went on a nearly month-long promotion drive to play just for pride.

Battle Of The Sexes News

Former British No 1 delivers a damning verdict as Nick Kyrgios beats Aryna Sabalenka

Biggest fears dispelled as Nick Kyrgios makes Aryna Sabalenka an offer after Battle of the Sexes showdown

Back in 1973, the original Battle of the Sexes match between Bobby Riggs and the great Bilie Jean King had a $100,000 prize on the line.

Let’s not forget that a lot of money is thrown around when Dubai hosts high-profile sporting events.

Sabalenka doesn’t need the money as she has earned $45m in career prize money with $15m coming from her 2025 season alone, while she also has a long line of sponsorships worth millions.

“I felt great. I think I put up a great fight. He was struggling, he got really tired,” the world No 1 said after the match.

“I think it was a great level, I made a lot of great shots, moved a lot to the net, drop shots. Really enjoyed the show. Next time when I play him, I already know the tactics, his strengths and weaknesses, and it will be a better match for sure.

“I love to challenge myself and I’d love to play again.”

Kyrgios, on the other hand, has made $12m from prize money, but his earnings have dried up in recent years as he has played only a handful of matches due to injury, so don’t be fooled into thinking he played “just for pride”.

“Seeing someone as great as Sabalenka out here and myself, it truly is a spectacle, and a great stepping stone forward for the sport of tennis,” he said.

“Of course I was nervous. Not many people would have put their hand up to be in this position.

“Sabalenka was up for the challenge, and the scoreline was close. This was all the world was talking about for the last six months.

“I’m just glad, from where I was – I wasn’t able to use my right hand – to even get back out here and compete with Sabalenka, honestly it’s emotional.”

The post How much prize money did Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios earn for Battle of the Sexes match? appeared first on Tennis365.

The reaction to Battle of the Sexes match between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka has been coming in and the general consensus appears to be negative.

A host of high profile journalists on X were quick to suggest the 6-3, 6-3 win for Kyrgios counted for little in a match that failed to catch fire, with the reduced court Sabalenka was playing on one of many reasons why critics were quick to condemn the contest in Dubai.

Former British No 1 Greg Rusedski delivered his verdict in the latest of his Off Court Cuts show, that is part of his recently launched Off Court with Greg podcast.

“I asked before the match on our podcast whether it was a gimmick and the answer is… gimmick, gimmick gimmick,” said Rusedski.

“I did not enjoy it. I just thought Kyrgios was dictating. Let’s not forget he was No 671 in the world. Did we actually need this and was it good for tennis? I’m not so sure.

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“It really didn’t feel like a match. Sabalenka is a brilliant tennis player. The world No 1, a multiple Slam winner. I just don’t think we need this for our sport.

“This is a guy who is not in shape and who hasn’t played for three years. You can see him sweating profusely on court and this just didn’t work for me.

“I’m a big of a purist and I’d rather watch the mixed doubles exhibition they had at the US Open. For me that is better value and a better advertisement of the game.”

Former British No 1 Annabel Croft also gave her verdict on the BBC and she also felt the Kyrgios vs Sabalenka spectacle failed to live up to it’s billing.

“I think it didn’t quite live up to what I thought it might be,” said Croft.

“That was a lot to do with how he played the game. He did what he does on the tour generally.

“He is a very awkward customer for anyone. Slice, choppy forehands, slow balling, awkwardness.

“The ball was moving a lot, particularly on his serve. The way it moved in the air, you could see she was returning way outside the court.

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“He was very smart how he played. You felt like at any point he could dip into other gears.

“I didn’t feel like it showcased her enough, of what we know she is capable of.

“Perhaps it was disappointing for how it could have showcased her, but it had it’s moments.

“She certainly didn’t embarrass herself in any way. I didn’t expect her to win that match.

“I got the impression he would quite like to play her again. Next time, they must not take her first serve away. That was the huge difference between the two.

“It would have been much more interesting if she had her first serve. It takes away a major part of how she sets up her tennis.”

READ NEXT: Nick Kyrgios confirms his comeback tournament – and this might be his last chance

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The 2026 tennis season is about to dawn and the pieces of the jigsaw may be falling into place for the first calendar Grand Slam we have seen since 1988.

German legend Steffi Graf was the last player to win all four major titles in the same season and she made her glorious 12 months even more memorable by adding an Olympic gold medal to her collection to complete the perfect year.

The last time a male player won all four Grand Slams in the same season was back in 1969, as Australian legend Rod Laver dominated the sport in a manner that cemented his legacy as one of the game’s true legends.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic all won three Grand Slam titles in the same year over the course of their remarkable careers, but the presence of the three most successful players in the history of men’s tennis all playing at the same time helped to ensure they did not complete the clean sweep of majors.

It was Djokovic who came closest to the calendar Grand Slam in 2021, as he won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon before losing the US Open final against Daniil Medvedev in New York, as the pressure of completing the ultimate tennis achievement caught up with him on the final leg of the journey.

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Ex-world No 4 addresses if Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner can match Djokovic, Nadal, Federer

Carlos Alcaraz warned he needs to learn from Jannik Sinner in one key area

A new era has now started in men’s tennis, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner winning the last eight Grand Slam titles between them and the duo will be eyeing up the prospect of more major glory in 2026.

If their dominance continues, Alcaraz and Sinner may be eyeing up the prospect of winning all four majors in one year and for one of the ‘Big 2’ in men’s tennis, opportunity may knock in the upcoming season.

Such has been the dominance of the players at the top of the rankings that if either of them suffers a dip in form, the door will open for the potential of the ultimate dominance for the other.

With Alcaraz confirming his shock split with his long-time coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero in the days before Christmas, the tennis world is waiting to see what impact that has on the young Spaniard.

It would be surprising if the coaching split does not have an impact on Alcaraz and that may affect his hopes of winning his first Australian Open title next month and completing his set of all four Grand Slams in Melbourne.

Sinner has looked unbeatable at the opening major of the year and has won it with plenty to spare in 2024 and 2025, so he will be the firm favourite to continue that invincible run next month.

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Winning the French Open for the first time may be Sinner’s biggest challenge, as Alcaraz is at home on a surface that reduces some of the weapons that make his big rival so tough to beat on hard courts.

Yet he was a point away from beating Alcaraz in their epic final at Roland Garros last year and Sinner was dominant as the two met once again in the Wimbledon final a few weeks later.

Alcaraz got his revenge for that defeat when he turned in a dynamic performance in his US Open final win against Sinner, but there has to be a chance that a slightly diluted version of Alcaraz could drop a level without Ferrero’s guidance in his corner.

Alcaraz finished the 2025 season nursing injury problems, but he still opted to play lucrative exhibition events in the off-season, with Sinner focusing his attention on more considered preparations for a new year that will offer huge opportunities for the player currently sitting at No 2 in the ATP Rankings.

With uncertainty hovering over Alcaraz’s fitness and coaching set-up, Sinner will be the player to beat in 2026 and he gets off to a flier by winning a third successive Australian Open title, the the calendar Grand Slam may quickly become a target on his horizon.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz’s ex-coach opens the door to sensational move to Jannik Sinner’s team

The post Jannik Sinner ‘set to achieve the ultimate feat in tennis in 2026’ amid Carlos Alcaraz decline appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz’s camp wanted to remove Juan Carlos Ferrero as coach a year ago and they had already lined up a high-profile replacement, but the player himself was against it, according to Spanish journalist Jose Moron.

One of the most successful partnerships came to an end after the 2025 season as Alcaraz announced that he had parted ways with Ferrero following seven years that delivered six Grand Slam titles, eight ATP Masters 1000 trophies and two year-end No 1 crowns.

Although the split came as a shock to the tennis community, many believe that there had been signs of tension between Alcaraz’s entourage and Ferrero with the relationship reaching a point a no return in December when the coach opted not to accept the terms of contract that was put on the table.

In an interview with Marca, Ferrero admitted that both parties were pulling in different directions as he stated: “As with all contracts, one side pulls in one direction and the other in another. Carlos’s camp thinks about what’s best for him, and mine thinks about what’s best for me. There were certain issues on which both parties disagreed.”

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But according to Punto de Break’s Moron, the decision to go their separate ways did not come out of the blue as those close to Alcaraz wanted to get rid of the 2003 French Open champion last year as the player was suffering from “mental burnout”.

“2024 was a very good year, he wins Roland Garros, he wins Wimbledon again, but then he has another stretch, especially after the Olympic Games, where Carlos Alcaraz loses his way a bit, just like in 2023,” he said on the Punto de Break YouTube Channel.

“At the end of the season, Alcaraz looked completely overwhelmed; I mean, he ends up breaking his racket in Cincinnati on an absolutely, well, fateful day for him.

“This is compounded by a very, very surprising defeat in the second round of the US Open. And that’s where, let’s say, Alcaraz starts to say, in a way, that he wasn’t mentally present, while from Juan Carlos’s side, he was being pressured to, ‘hey we have to keep going, we’re at the US Open, hey, now comes the Asian tour, the end of the season’.

“Alcaraz is showing signs of mental burnout, and those around Alcaraz here understand that all of this is mainly due to, let’s say, the way Ferrero wanted Alcaraz to manage his career, which isn’t ideal for Carlos.”

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Besides losing early at the US Open, Alcaraz was also knocked out in the round-robin phase of the ATP Finals while he won only one tournament – the China Open – following his Wimbledon title defence.

He also made a sluggish start to 2025, losing in the quarter-final of the Australian Open before finding form at the Rotterdam Open as he won his maiden indoor title.

Moron added that the Alcaraz camp was ready to pull the trigger until the tennis star told them otherwise, as he also revealed they had their eye on former world No 1 Andy Murray as a replacement, but Novak Djokovic was ahead of the game as he had already managed to sign Murray as his coach.

“It’s here where, at the end of 2024, a moment of tremendous tension occurs. This that has happened now in 2025, this breakup was going to happen last year, exactly a year ago, when at the end of the season, they went back to renegotiating Juan Carlos Ferrero’s annual contract, and so on,” Moron continued.

“Carlos Alcaraz’s entourage was not at all happy with what had happened in the last three months because they thought that all of this was caused by, you know, Juan Carlos is very strict.

“It’s that he understands tennis in a certain way, and here, where it was already made, it became even more evident. He understands tennis one way, and it seems Carlos wanted to go in a different direction.

“And around here, he saw it and said, ‘Hey, we don’t think this is going to work out.’ And what I’m told is that last year, Carlos Alcaraz’s entourage already wanted to do what happened this year, which is to remove Juan Carlos Ferrero and bring in another coach.

“They mentioned a name to me, we already talked about it when we discussed the topic of possible coaches for Carlos Alcaraz; the name they had in mind was Andy Murray. They wanted Andy Murray as Carlos Alcaraz’s coach, but Djokovic beat them to it, taking Murray.

“And another thing that happened, everything came to a halt, and what happened next? I’m told is that Carlos Alcaraz stopped the idea of ​​Juan Carlos leaving the team in 2024. At the end of last year, exactly a year ago, I repeat, what has happened now was going to happen, they intended to do it, but it was Carlos Alcaraz who stopped it.

“With this, I want to make it clear that the relationship between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero has always been magnificent, tremendously good, there’s no buts about it.”

The post Carlos Alcaraz entourage wanted Andy Murray to replace Juan Carlos Ferrero – report appeared first on Tennis365.

The 2026 season is just around the corner and it means the scramble for WTA Rankings points and positions will resume with several players facing uphill battles in the first month of the new campaign.

Aryna Sabalenka finished 2025 as the year-end No 1 in the rankings with Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini, Mirra Andreeva and Ekaterina Alexandrova completing the top 10.

Four-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka has a 2,475-point lead over Swiatek, who in turn is 1,632 points ahead of Gauff so the top two should be safe until after the Australian Open, but there are unlikely to be several changes in the first few weeks of the new year.

Year-End WTA Rankings Top 10

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 10,870
2. Iga Swiatek – 8,395
3. Coco Gauff – 6,763
4. Amanda Anisimova – 6,287
5. Elena Rybakina – 5,850
6. Jessica Pegula – 5,583
7. Madison Keys – 4,335
8. Jasmine Paolini – 4,325
9. Mirra Andreeva – 4,319
10. Ekaterina Alexandrov – 3,375

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The top players will start their 2026 campaigns in the first week of January at either the United Cup or the Brisbane International and some have more points to defend than others from the outset.

A few have also signed up for the Adelaide International the week before the season-opening Grand Slam before they all head to Melbourne for the Australian Open.

WTA Ranking Points Being Defended In January

Sabalenka – 1,800

The world No 1 is one of those players who are under pressure as she won the Brisbane International in 2025 and she will defend 500 points while she finished runner-up to Keys at the Australian Open (1,300 points).

Sabalenka has once again signed up for those two events in 2026 so while she will drop 1,800 points, she could earn 2,500 back by winning both tournaments.

Swiatek – 1,105

The reigning Wimbledon champion featured at the United Cup and Australian Open at the beginning of 2025 and Poland finished runner-up (325 points) at the team event while she lost in the semi-final in Melbourne (780).

She can, of course, earn more points in 2026 by winning both of those events (500 for an undefeated champion at the United Cup and 2,000 at the Australian Open).

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Gauff – 930

The two-time Grand Slam winner led the United States to the United Cup last year as she finished the tournament undefeated (500) while she lost in the quarter-final of the Australian Open (430).

A run to the final of this year’s Australian Open will give her a points boost.

Anisimova – 125

The two-time Grand Slam runner-up is best-placed in the top 10 to make a charge as she made a slow start to 2025 before kicking on in February.

The American earned one point in Auckland, 54 in Hobart and 70 at the Australian Open last year.

Anisimova will play in Brisbane and the Australian Open in 2026.

Rybakina – 390

Reigning WTA Finals champion Rybakina is also well-placed ahead of the new year as she earned 150 points at the United Cup and 240 at the Australian Open in 2025.

The Kazakh star has signed up for the Brisbane International before the season-opening Grand Slam in Melbourne.

Pegula – 455

The former world No 3 finished runner-up at Adelaide International (325) and lost in the third round of the Australian Open (130).

Pegula will feature in Brisbane and Adelaide before the Australian Open so there is potential to win a lot of points.

Keys – 2,554

The defending Australian Open champion is facing a slump down the rankings as she will not only defend 2,000 points at Melbourne Park, but also 500 in Adelaide after starting the 2025 campaign with back-to-back titles.

She will also drop 54 points from the Auckland Open.

Keys will play in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne in 2026.

The post WTA Rankings: How many points are Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Anisimova, Keys defending in January? appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka is set to take on Nick Kyrgios in one of the most talked-about tennis matches of 2025 in Dubai, with the best female player in the world accepting huge pressure as in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ clash.

Sabalenka and Kyrgios are set to lock horns with the world No 1 WTA Tour star set to compete on a smaller court than her male rival in a match that will see both players operating with just one serve.

The contest has divided opinion in the tennis community, with Sabalenka and Kyrgios both coming under fire after they signed up for the contest.

Critics of the match suggest a heavy defeat for Sabalenka will damage the women’s game, while Kyrgios’ history, which includes a guilty plea in a domestic abuse case in Australia, has been cited as a reason why he is not the right candidate to take part in this contest.

Despite the scepticism Kyrgios felt the need to reject, the world will be watching when the best female player in the world takes on the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up and here is the tale of the tape ahead of what is certain to be a compelling contest.

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Aryna Sabalenka

Age: 27

Nationality: Belarus

Height: 5’11” (182cm)

Turned pro: 2015

Highest career ranking: Currently No 1

Career prize money: $45,175,621

Biggest weapon: Powerful ground shots

Biggest weakness: Struggles to stay calm on court

Form: Lost final match of 2025 season in WTA Finals, but she was the outstanding player in the world throughout this year.

Nick Kyrgios

Age: 30

Nationality: Australia

Height: 6’4″ (193cm)

Turned pro: 2013

Highest career ranking: No 13 in October 2016

Career prize money: $12,802,482

Biggest weapon: First serve

Biggest weakness: Explosive temperament

Form: He doesn’t have any due to a long spell out with injuries over the last three years.

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What they say:

Nick Kyrgios

“All the negative comments towards the Battle of the Sexes are doing nothing but giving it more attention. At the end of the day, Aryna will go down as one of the greatest players to play this game.

“I will have entertained crowds around the world. We are two humans who are good friends who want to put on a show and get more eyes on tennis.

“Sit back and enjoy the show. We both love the challenge and are going into this with no real experience. No one cares what you have to say.”

Aryna Sabalenka

“I am not putting myself at any risk. We’re there to have fun and bring great tennis. Whoever wins, wins. It’s so obvious that the man is biologically stronger than the woman, but it’s not about that. This event is only going to help bring women’s tennis to a higher level.”

Greg Rusedski (former British No 1)

“For it to be a real Battle of the Sexes, the court dimensions have to be the same and it has to be tennis. It could be one set, but it has to be two serves. The court size has to be the same because that’s the way tennis is played.

“Is this more of an exhibition and is Kyrgios going to take her along or is it going to be a real battle out there where they go toe-to-toe properly? We don’t know.

“Also, Kyrgios hasn’t really been on tour for three years, so we don’t know how that is going to work out if he is playing three full sets.

“There are three questions here. Yes you like it, no you don’t like it or is it a gimmick… and my opinion is I find it gimmicky.”

Casper Ruud (Grand Slam finalist)

“If you really want to do it, you should have fair playing grounds. If it’s not the same court on both sides and two serves, it’s not the real deal.”

The post Aryna Sabalenka vs Nick Kyrgios: Tale of the tape ahead of ‘Battle of the Sexes’ showdown appeared first on Tennis365.

Great Britain will pin their hopes on Emma Raducanu at the United Cup as she is the only player ranked inside the top 100 of the singles following Jack Draper’s withdrawal, while the team will also be without world doubles No 1 Lloyd Glasspool.

Draper and Raducanu were due to spearhead Team GB’s at the season-opening tournament in Australia, but they suffered a massive blow when the former announced that it “doesn’t seem like a smart decision right now” to compete following a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an arm injury.

Following a brilliant first half of the season that saw him climb to a career-high No 4 in the ATP Rankings, the 24-year-old struggled with injury during the second half of the campaign as he played one completed match at Wimbledon before retiring from his second-round clash against Sebastian Baez.

Draper then returned at the US Open and, after playing in the mixed doubles, he went on to win his singles opener at the season-ending hard-court Grand Slam before withdrawing due to injury.

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That was his last match of the 2025 season, but he was confident he would kick off his 2026 campaign at the United Cup with Great Britain before competing at the Australian Open.

However, that won’t be the case as he won’t travel to Australia at all, saying “I’ve had this injury for a long time, I’m at the very, very end stages of the process and to step back on court into best-of-five-set tennis so soon just doesn’t seem like a smart decision right now for me and my tennis”.

Draper, currently No 10 in the ATP Rankings, was due to be Great Britain’s leading player alongside world No 29 Raducanu, but the latter will now carry the hopes.

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United Cup squads consist of six members, two ATP singles players, two WTA singles player, one ATP doubles player and one WTA doubles player, but it will be a new-look GB team that play in Australia to the one that was originally announced.

Besides Draper and Raducanu, the other members of the squad were world No 126 Billie Harris (singles), world No 244 Mingge Xu (singles), world No 1 Glasspool (doubles) and world No 26 Olivia Nicholls (doubles).

Xu and Glasspool have also withdrawn and they have been replaced by world No 276 Katie Swann (singles) and world No 9 Neal Skupski (doubles).

No official replacement has been confirmed for Draper, but Harris will now be the No 1 singles player and he will take on Shintaro Mochizuk when Great Britain faces Japan in their opening tie on January 4.

Raducanu will take on Naomi Osaka with the mixed doubles pairings still to be decided.

Harris and Raducanu will also feature against Greece on January 5 with the former facing Stefanos Tsitsipas while Raducanu will play against Maria Sakkari.

The post Emma Raducanu part of new-look Great Britain team for United Cup after several setbacks appeared first on Tennis365.

Rafael Nadal says that his gameplay tactics against Roger Federer were ‘clearer’ than those used against Novak Djokovic, with the latter being more surface dependent.

The Spaniard – who decided to hang up his racket at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals after struggling to regain consistency post-left psoas surgery – formed part of the ‘Big Three’, alongside the Swiss and Serb.

Combined, they collected 64 Grand Slams and 104 Masters 1000s, as well having held the top spot in the ATP rankings for 947 weeks (equivalent to over 18 years).

Given their hard-fought rivalries, none of the three were quick to divulge their specific tactics during their careers – always seeking to gain an edge against the other.

However, Nadal gave a look into his tennis genius after being asked to compare the matchups against both Federer and Djokovic.

“With Federer, the plan was clear,” Nadal told Spanish news outlet AS.

“Especially at the beginning: pressure his backhand with high balls repeatedly until he stood still, waiting for the next shot, and then I could switch to his forehand.

“It was a mental effort for me, because I often saw the shot going the other way, but I knew that repeating it on the backhand would tire him mentally.

“I didn’t always feel like using that tactic, but it was the most feasible.”

Indeed, the pair played on 40 occasions with Nadal leading 24-16, overall.

Arguably, their Wimbledon 2008 clash is the greatest tennis match in the history of the sport, being the scene of the Spaniard dethroning five-time defending champion Federer 9-7 in the fifth set.

The Swiss maestro opted to play alongside Nadal in a men’s doubles contest during the last match of his professional career, at the 2022 Laver Cup in London.

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Whilst the two oldest members of the world-renowned trio have retired, Djokovic continues to break records and defy logic.

The 38-year-old legend is currently ranked as the world No 4 after reaching the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams in 2025.

He lifted two ATP 250 titles during the season – in Geneva and Athens.

“With Novak, it was more unpredictable,” the 22-time Grand Slam champion said about his younger rival.

“On clay, it was a bit more unpredictable than on hard courts. On hard courts, in my later years, when my body couldn’t handle certain efforts anymore, it was much harder.

“To have a chance, I needed my body to respond, and it wasn’t. I had to shorten points, and beating Novak in two or three shots was very difficult.

“I sometimes tried to be more aggressive with my serve, but it didn’t work.

“On clay, I did find solutions, and on grass, I also had chances, although I ended up losing those semi-finals.

“I felt my chances were better on clay or grass than on hard courts, especially in my later years.”

As the Spaniard mentioned, his rivalry against Djokovic was extremely surface dependent.

27 of their 60 clashes took place on hard courts, with the Serb dominating 20-7 – including all of their last nine.

On the other hand, the King of Clay – predictably – ended their rivalry with a 20-9 lead on the red dirt.

Meanwhile, they split their four grass-court matches equally.

The post Rafael Nadal reveals exactly how he beat Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer – ‘The plan was clear’ appeared first on Tennis365.

It is the match that has got both the tennis and wider sporting world talking, and there is now just one day until Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios take to the court for a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in Dubai.

The build-up to the clash between reigning WTA world No 1 Sabalenka and Kyrgios has been contentious and controversial, with a range of interest, praise, and criticism ahead of the high-profile showdown between the two stars.

However, it is far from the first time that tennis has played host to a ‘Battle of the Sexes’, and here we look back at five previous times in which players faced off in similar showdowns.

1973: Bobby Riggs vs Margaret Court

A multiple-time Grand Slam winner in the 1930s and 1940s, Riggs soared back into prominence in 1973 after stating that he, as a 55-year-old, could beat any of the leading women’s players of the era.

Riggs wanted to play Billie Jean King, but when she refused, fellow tennis great Court — considered the best player in the world at that point — accepted his challenge, pocketing a guaranteed $20,000 for her appearance.

Around 5,000 fans came to watch the match in the stands in California, but it ultimately proved to be a one-sided affair, with Riggs breezing towards a 6-2, 6-1 victory in less than one hour.

Held on US Mother’s Day, the match was dubbed the ‘Mother’s Day Massacre’ and provided a further significant boost to Riggs’ profile.

1973: Bobby Riggs vs Billie Jean King

After Riggs’ win over Court, King accepted his challenge in the most famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’ of them all, an event that brought tennis into the spotlight — and inspired the 2017 film.

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A winner-takes-all prize money payout of $100,000 was on offer for whoever prevailed in the match, which was held inside the Houston Astrodome in Texas.

Approximately 30,000 people watched inside the stadium with an estimated global audience of 90 million, and King swiftly sealed an emphatic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory.

The legitimacy of the match and the outcome has been called into question at times, though it proved to be a watershed moment for women’s tennis.

1992: Jimmy Connors vs Martina Navratilova

Almost two decades on from Riggs’ matches versus Court and King, tennis legends Connors and Navratilova contested their own ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in Nevada.

Navratilova had previously turned down the chance to take on John McEnroe and Ilie Nastase in similar showdowns, though she took on Connors after the event promoters were unable to persuade Monica Seles.

Similar to Kyrgios and Sabalenka’s showdown, hybrid rules were in place, with Connors only allowed one serve, and Navratilova allowed to use the double alleys for her groundstrokes.

Eventually, it was Connors who prevailed, with the eight-time Grand Slam champion defeating Navratilova 7-5, 6-2, earning $500,000 on top of a $650,000 appearance fee.

1998: Karsten Braasch vs Venus and Serena Williams

Already two of the biggest names in the sport, teenagers Venus and Serena famously claimed in 1998 that they could beat any male player ranked outside the top 200 of the ATP Rankings.

That led to a challenge from then world No 203 Braasch, with the German offering to face them on court at the Australian Open that year.

Braasch prepared for his matches against the Williamses by playing a round of golf and drinking two shandies, and beat Serena 6-1 before defeating Venus 6-2 in their set.

He would later claim that the sisters would have no chance against any man inside the top 500, while Serena and Venus lowered their claim to outside the top 350.

2003: Yannick Noah vs Justine Henin

Twenty years on from his famed 1983 French Open triumph, Noah faced Henin in an exhibition ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in Brussels.

Henin was the WTA world No. 1 at the time and was at arguably the peak of her powers, having triumphed at the French Open and US Open that season.

The match was far from serious — with Noah donning a dress to compete — though it proved more competitive than some of the other examples on this list.

Ultimately, 43-year-old Noah defeated 21-year-old Henin 4-6, 6-4, 7-6.

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Former doubles world No 1 Todd Woodbridge has questioned Carlos Alcaraz’s “mind-boggling” decision to split with Juan Carlos Ferrero, suggesting the two should resolve any differences and reunite.

Reigning singles world No 1 and six-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz announced last week that he had split from long-time coach Ferrero, ending one of the most successful player-coach partnerships of recent times.

Alcaraz won all six of his Grand Slam titles under Ferrero’s guidance and also achieved two year-end world No 1 finishes, while also becoming the youngest-ever man to top the ATP Rankings in September 2022.

In an interview this week, former world No 1 Ferrero confirmed reports that a contractual dispute between the two parties led to the split, ending a hugely successful seven-year spell of the two Spaniards working together.

Alcaraz is now working with Samuel Lopez as his head coach, with the coach having initially worked alongside Ferrero as a permanent member of the team since the start of 2025.

However, there is no denying that this is a change of huge significance for Alcaraz, who has been working with Ferrero since he was a teenager.

Speaking on The Tennis, Woodbridge — a 22-time Grand Slam champion across men’s and mixed doubles titles — claimed that Alcaraz could struggle to add to his major title collection without Ferrero.

“I think it’s going to make it very difficult for Carlos to win a major next year — we know he’s good enough,” said Woodbridge.

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“But that change, at this point of his career, I find it mind-boggling.

“We’re talking about one of the greatest duos of coaching partnerships that our game has seen.

“It would seem from reports that are out there that it wasn’t between the two of them, it was between outside sources and negotiations.

“And if we’re talking about a bit of money here, or scheduling there, get it right, get it together, and continue with this incredible career.”

News of Alcaraz’s split from Ferrero came almost exactly one month before the Australian Open, the opening Grand Slam tournament of 2026 — and the Spaniard’s first official event of the season.

The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tournament that the 22-year-old has not yet won, and Alcaraz has spoken openly about his hunger to complete the Career Grand Slam in Melbourne next year.

Alcaraz will be the joint-heavy favourite for the title alongside world No 2 Jannik Sinner, with the two having won the last eight major tournaments between them.

However, Woodbridge believes that Alcaraz and Ferrero’s split puts two-time defending champion Sinner in the driver’s seat for the title.

He added: “When Juan Carlos hasn’t been around the last few years, Alcaraz does not play as good, and you can see him looking out into the stands — he’s actually a little unsure of himself, and it’s gonna take months to settle down.

“And then, will he settle? In the meantime, he may give others the opportunity to get some victories.

“Given that change, I think Jannik has the upper hand and he gets the three-peat.”

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