Australia’s Nick Kyrgios will take on current women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka in an exhibition tennis match in Dubai next month.
In a modern reboot of the ‘Battles of the Sexes’ concept most famously associated with the historic showdown between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973, the pair will clash on December 28.
Speaking from the WTA Finals this week in Riyadh, Sabalenka said she was both excited and honoured for the opportunity to showcase the women’s game against 2022 Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios.
“I have so much respect for Billie Jean King and what she has done for the women’s game,” Sabalenka said on announcement of the season-ending match.
“I’m proud to represent women’s tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic Battle of the Sexes match.”
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Kyrgios: Dubai, prepare for a show
For his part, Kyrgios said he was equally as motivated and intended to put on a show for tennis fans all over the world.
“When the world number one challenges you, you answer the call,” 30-year-old Kyrgios said.
“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—Dubai, get ready for a show.”
The seeds of the match were sown at the US Open back in September when Kyrgios commented he would ‘easily’ beat the 27-year-old Belarusian, with Sabalenka responding that she was ready to ‘kick ass’.
While the 1973 showdown between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs in Houston remains the most well known battle of the sexes, it is not the only such contest in the history of elite tennis.
Riggs actually played Australia’s Margaret Court in a similar match just four months earlier in the same year, while in 1992 Jimmy Connors beat Martina Navratilova over the best of three sets.
Other household tennis names such Pat Cash, Novak Djokovic, Yannick Noah and Justine Henin have all taken part in exhibition matches (with varying degrees of seriousness) and in 1998 both Serena and Venus Williams lost one-set contests against Germany’s Karsten Braasch.
As recently as July 2021, a single tiebreak game was played between Polish number ones Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Świątek to mark the opening of the 2021 WTA Poland Open, which Świątek won.
The one-off event between Sabalenka and Kygios in Dubai is being organised by the pair’s shared management agency, Evolve.