Aryna Sabalenka faces Nick Kyrgios in a modern-day ‘Battle of the Sexes’ tennis exhibition using modified rules, in a contest that has provoked controversy.
In September, Kyrgios claimed that he could beat Sabalenka, the women’s No 1 and four-time grand slam champion, while suggesting that he would not need to try “100 per cent” to win.
In response, Sabalenka said she would “kick his ass” and Evolve - the agency that represents both players - made the controversial match-up official, with it now taking place during the sport’s off-season.
In the original 1973 ‘Battle of the Sexes’, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs, with King’s victory in Houston going down as one of the most famous matches of all time.
Sabalenka has been the best player in the world over the last couple of seasons and won her fourth grand slam title by beating Amanda Anisimova in the US Open final in September.
Critics of the match, which will be shown on the BBC, have pointed to the difference between this exhibition and the original 1973 Battle of the Sexes, which was about achieving societal change, arguing that it provides a platform for misogynists to diminish the women’s game.
When will the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ take place?
The match between Sabalenka and Kyrgios will take place on Sunday December 28 from 3:45pm GMT (UK time). The venue will be Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena.
TV Channel and how to watch
It will be shown live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK. Clare Balding will present the programme while commentary will be provided by Andrew Cotter.
What will the rules be?
The players will be limited to one serve each, while Sabalenka’s side of the court will be nine per cent smaller. The match will take place over best of three set, with a match tiebreak, to ten points, deciding the winner if required.
The organisers, the Evolve agency that represents both Kyrgios and Sabalenka, said Sabalenka’s side of the court will be smaller to “reflect average movement-speed differences between men and women” - while the players will only have one serve in an effort to neutralise the Australian’s power.
What else did Aryna Sabalenka say?
Sabalenka was asked about the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match, as well as some of Kyrgios’s comments, during the US Open in September.
“I think it's cool idea, you know. I think it's gonna be spectacular to watch,” she said. “It's going to be fun, especially against someone like Nick.
“Like he said in another interview, that I genuinely think that I'm going to win, and I'll definitely go out there, and I'll try my best to kick his ass.”
In a press release confirming the exhibition event, Sabalenka added: "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.
“Dubai is my home, and I know this city loves big, entertaining events. I have a lot of respect for Nick and his talent, but make no mistake, I'm ready to bring my A-game.”
What did Nick Kyrgios say about the match?
Kyrgios played just five official matches in 2025 due to injury and pulled out of Wimbledon and the US Open. With his ranking plummeting to 671, he is targeting a return at the Australian Open.
“Getting to know her, she’s definitely a character,” Kyrgios said a few months ago. “I’m super excited for that. I think she’s the type of player who genuinely thinks she’s going to win.
“She [Sabalenka] is not gonna beat me. Do you really think I have to try 100 per cent? I’m gonna try. Because I’m representing the men’s side. I’d say 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,” Kyrgios also claimed. “And then we can just chip and drop shot.
“I think I’m going to be okay. I’m going to go there, and I don’t want her to win. That’s for sure.”
In the press release announcing the Battle of the Sexes match, Kyrgios said: "When the World No.1 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. Dubai, get ready for a show, because I'm going to bring the heat at the Coca-Cola Arena".
What happened in the 1973 ‘Battle of the Sexes’?
Billie Jean King, the 12-time grand slam champion, reluctantly agreed to take on Bobby Riggs, a self-proclaimed “male chauvinist pig”, after he thrashed Margaret Court in a match later known as the ‘Mother’s Day Massacre’.
King was 29 and the top women’s player in the world when she faced Riggs, the former No 1 ranked men’s player who, at the age of 55, boasted he could beat any women’s player.
In what remains the most-watched tennis match of all time, with 30,000 people in attendance in Houston and an estimated 90 million watching around the world, King defeated Riggs in straight-sets. It created a moment that helped power the gathering force of the women’s rights movement in the United States.
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