Nick Kyrgios has triumphed in his much-criticized Battle of the Sexes match against Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka was feeling the pressure ahead of her match against Kyrgios, with the Belarusian currently ranked number one in the world.
The Australian is ranked 671st, but he won their meeting 6-3, 6-3 in Dubai, where Sabalenka’s side of the court was 9% smaller.
The Battle of the Sexes match was heavily criticized in the build-up, while Kyrgios himself was the subject of a strong claim from his fellow ATP player Alexander Bublik.
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Nick Kyrgios fires back at Alexander Bublik comments
Sitting down with Kyrgios on First&Red in September, Bublik said: “I would not choose you to represent the men’s side.”
Now talking after his win, Kyrgios has told the press: “It’s an interesting comment from someone who has moulded their entire game about me.
“I mean, we are all thinking it. Someone had to say it. Bublik is a great friend of mine. And let me start by saying to see him and how well he has done the last year has been incredible to see.
“I have always known that he had the ability to do these amazing things and achieve these amazing things.
“But look, Bublik, and let me tell you there have been some players messaging me day in and day out saying that you are representing us. It was serious pressure.
“Bublik was not the only one. I’m not going to mention names because they have been harassing me for days and weeks! But it was tough. It was not easy. Bublik is next! You go next!”
Why Alexander Bublik would be great for the Battle of the Sexes
Both Kyrgios and Bublik are real flair players, and can light up any court at any given moment thanks to their skill and creativity.
Unfortunately it hasn’t been seen enough on the court in recent times from Kyrgios, who has been struggling with injury.
But as the Australian mentioned, Bublik has been flying high on the ATP Tour, rising to 11th in the world rankings.
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He claimed a huge four titles in the 2025 season, and was one of the very few people to beat Jannik Sinner.
Like Kyrgios, Bublik is also not afraid to speak his mind, with his bold approach to tennis on and off the court making him a fine option to one day play against a WTA star.
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