Nick Kyrgios has emerged victorious from the latest edition of the Battle of the Sexes thanks to his win over Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka was criticized for playing Kyrgios in the Battle of the Sexes, which was a recreation of Billie Jean King’s match against Bobby Riggs in 1973.
King wanted Sabalenka to beat Kyrgios, just as she had done against former Wimbledon and US Open champion Riggs.
But it wasn’t meant to be for WTA number one Sabalenka, who lost 6-3, 6-3 to ATP number 671 Kyrgios in Dubai.
What was your opinion on the Battle of the Sexes match?
Aryna Sabalenka impresses Nick Kyrgios from the very first point
The winner of the clash has now discussed his opponent, with Kyrgios saying to the media after the match: “Let’s address her as a player. She is phenomenal to be honest.
“I think the greatest thing about her is her mindset. I am very observant. At the coin flip, she wins it, and instantly kick serves.
“Just little things like that, to go out there wanting to serve first in such a format and in such a cultural moment, shows that she has zero doubt in her ability.
“That just shows me and proves why she has been so successful. She genuinely believes that she could have gone out there and beaten me tonight.
“And look, it was a super competitive match. She broke me four or five times. I go back to my phone and tell all my friends and some of the tennis players in the tennis world are saying we have never seen you sweat so much.
“I had to work hard. Nothing came easy out there. It was an incredible high level and I think for the sport of tennis it shows that we are still able, as a unit, I hate the division in tennis at the moment. I can’t stand it.
“I hate we don’t work together, and this shows that two players, male and female, can still sell out stadiums around the world and bring out some of the biggest names in sporting history. I think that is the message here.
“That is why I did not like holding that trophy. It’s not about that. It’s about us putting on a show around the world and working together as a team.
“She showcased some great tennis tonight and I had to play some seriously high-level tennis. It was a really competitive match.”
Men’s and women’s tennis to continue on separate paths after Battle of the Sexes
It was certainly an intriguing match if nothing else, with fans turning up in their numbers in Dubai to get a glimpse of the two superstars in action.
Sabalenka definitely tested Kyrgios, who at times was left helpless by the sheer power of the Belarusian ace.
But at other times he looked very comfortable on the court, which was incidentally 9% smaller on Sabalenka’s side.
Ultimately, both players will feel they achieved their goal of showcasing elite tennis and its entertainment value, which can only be viewed as a positive.
Which two players in tennis history would you like to see in a Battle of the Sexes match?
But the ATP and WTA tours will continue to go their separate ways as the 2026 season arrives, clearly to the frustration of Kyrgios.
Legendary male player Roger Federer wanted an ATP and WTA merger in 2020, but that still hasn’t happened.
A merger between the two entities has certainly been discussed, but when that will be and what that will look like remains to be seen.
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