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 vs Nick Kyrgios: 5 famous (or infamous) ‘Battle of the Sexes’ showdowns
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.
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