Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios attracted plenty of criticism for their Battle of the Sexes match, which was won by the ATP player.
WTA number one Sabalenka really impressed Kyrgios, but she fell 6-3, 6-3 to her male counterpart in Dubai.
The Battle of the Sexes match drew heavy criticism, with Sabalenka having hoped to inspire others by taking part in the exhibition event.
Kyrgios wanted critics to enjoy the Battle of the Sexes clash, which involved a smaller court for Sabalenka and both players having just one serve each.
What was your opinion on the Battle of the Sexes match?
Aryna Sabalenka made the right decision to play against Nick Kyrgios
Despite the fierce criticism, and despite losing, it can be argued that Sabalenka made the right decision to play against Kyrgios.
First and foremost, she clearly enjoyed the challenge, and even though there would have been a financial incentive, Sabalenka deserves praise for taking on a male player.
But perhaps more importantly, the world number one was able to get some much-needed preparation for the new season.
The clash will have been a great training session for the Belarusian if nothing else, allowing her to rate her current fitness and hitting levels.
Sabalenka may also have learned a lot about herself despite the relatively brief encounter, namely her current strengths and indeed her current limitations.
And finally, the match is definitely still being talked about inside and outside of the tennis world, having created plenty of intrigue beforehand.
Was the Battle of the Sexes good or bad for tennis?
Given the fierce criticism and the comparisons to the more serious 1973 Battle of the Sexes match involving Billie Jean King, the latest edition was perhaps always destined to fail.
Kyrgios’ current fitness levels and world ranking of 671 also didn’t help matters in that regard, and neither did Sabalenka’s reduced court size.
But the two players clearly loved their time on court and putting on a show for the fans in attendance, many of whom also seemingly enjoyed the entire experience.
Which two players in tennis history would you like to see in a Battle of the Sexes match?
It may have lacked intensity at times, but Sabalenka proved on occasion that she was a match for Kyrgios.
Whether another edition of the match takes place in the future remains to be seen, but Kyrgios thinks “nothing but positives” can be taken from the latest tie.
Kyrgios claims even critics watched the Battle of the Sexes, with the match, if nothing else, bringing eyes to tennis that weren’t there beforehand.
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