The ‘Battle of the Sexes’ exhibition match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios has been confirmed, and it will take place next month.
Sabalenka and Kyrgios will face off at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 28 December.
The match has been organised by Evolve, a sports agency founded by Naomi Osaka, which represents both Sabalenka and Kyrgios.
Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios will meet in ‘Battle of the Sexes’ exhibition
- Aryna Sabalenka said she is ready to bring her A-game and also spoke of her respect for tennis icon Billie Jean King, who won the most famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in 1973
- Nick Kyrgios asserted he “has never backed down from a challenge”, adding he is “here to entertain”
- Tennis365 readers are unsure the match will be a close contest, but some feel it will be an entertaining watch
Sabalenka won her fourth and most recent Grand Slam title at the 2025 US Open in September, and she will finish the season as the WTA world No 1 for the second straight year.
Kyrgios, a former world No 13, has played just five singles matches this season since returning from a wrist injury that had kept him out of action since June 2023.
The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up is currently ranked 652nd in the world having won just one match since October 2022. The Aussie has not featured in singles since the Miami Open in March due to ongoing injury issues.
This will be the fourth match labelled the ‘Battle of the Sexes’
There have been three tennis matches previously billed as the ‘Battle of the Sexes’, with two of them featuring former American player Bobby Riggs in 1973.
Riggs, a Wimbledon and US Open champion, was 55 when he played the two women’s tennis legends.
He crushed a 30-year-old Court 6-2, 6-1 in May 1973 before losing 4-6, 3-6, 3-6 to a 29-year-old King four months later in what was by far the most famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match.
Despite the age gap between the two, King’s victory was seen as a big step forward for women in sport and was watched by an estimated 90 million viewers worldwide.
In 1992, 40-year-old Jimmy Connors defeated a 35-year-old Martina Navratilova 7-5, 6-2 in a third ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match played under hybrid rules.
Sabalenka and Kyrgios’ reaction to the announcement
Here is what Sabalenka and Kyrgios said after the match was confirmed.
Sabalenka: “I have a lot of respect for Nick and his talent, but make no mistake, I’m ready to bring my A-game.
“I have so much respect for Billie Jean King and what she has done for the women’s game.
“I’m proud to represent women’s tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match.”
Kyrgios: “When the world number one challenges you, you answer the call. I’ve got massive respect for Aryna; she’s a powerhouse and a true champion.
“But I’ve never backed down from a challenge, and I’m not just here to play, I’m here to entertain. This is what I live for.”
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What Sabalenka and Kyrgios have previously said about the match
In a conversation with Alexander Bublik on the First & Red podcast earlier this year, Kyrgios insisted he would not have to try fully to beat Sabalenka.
“I’m super excited for that. I think she’s the type of player who genuinely thinks she’s going to win,” Kyrgios said.
“She (Sabalenka) is not gonna beat me. Do you really think I have to try 100 per cent? I’m going to try. Because I’m representing the men’s side. I’d say [the score will be] like 6-2 maybe.
“I’m not going to go there and say, ‘Oh, she’s so good, I can’t play this.’ That would make me look so bad. I’d imagine the internet would go crazy — go bananas.
“I mean, our serves, women can’t really return those. And then we can just chip and drop shot.
In a press conference during the US Open in September, Sabalenka declared that she believed she would win the match.
“Well I think it’s a cool idea, you know. It’s going to be spectacular to watch, it’s going to be fun, especially against someone like Nick,” Sabalenka said.
“Like he said in another interview, that I genuinely think I’m going to win. And I’ll definitely go out there and try my best to kick his a**. It’s going to be a good thing if I beat him.
“We’re going to bring it to somewhere where there’s going to be a lot of people watching and we’re going to put a lot of pressure on Nick.”
What Tennis365 readers have said about ‘Battle of the Sexes’ clash
There is intrigue about what the match between two big tennis personalities will look like, although the tennis community is not convinced it will be a good contest.
Here’s what some Tennis365 readers had to say about the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in response to our Instagram post about the match in September.
“If Nick tries it’ll be 6-0. This isn’t controversial.”
“Anyone who knows anything at all about tennis will know that Nick would beat her 100% of the time whether he gives it his all or not.”
“I love the fact that she (Sabalenka) is doing it.”
“Maybe a college player [could lose to Sabalenka]. Not a player that beat the Big Three (Federer, Nadal and Djokovic) the first time he played all of them.”
“This will be hilarious with both of their personalities on court.”
“There is literally no chance of her winning. Great idea and fun to watch though.”
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