🔗 Share this article Aryna Sabalenka Set to Challenge Nick Kyrgios in Contemporary ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Match The top-ranked female player and the Australian star will meet at the 17,000-capacity Coca-Cola Arena. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka will take on Nick Kyrgios in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match in the United Arab Emirates in December. The Belarusian Sabalenka, twenty-seven, and 30-year-old Australian Kyrgios – ranked 652nd in the world – are set to compete at the Dubai venue on December 28. Four-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka is the reigning Wimbledon and US Open title-holder. Kyrgios, who reached a career-high 13th in 2016, has only played five matches this year since returning from a significant wrist injury that kept him out for a year and a half. He has been absent on the ATP Tour since exiting in the Miami Open early stage in March. "I greatly admire Nick and his talent, but rest assured, I'm ready to bring my best performance," Sabalenka said. Past Background of ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Three official matches known as the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ have occurred – most famously between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973. US legend Riggs had defeated Australia's Margaret Court before King got payback four months later. In 1992, a 40-year-old Jimmy Connors beat fellow multiple Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, then thirty-five, under hybrid rules. "I deeply admire Billie Jean King and what she has done for the female tennis," Sabalenka added. "It's an honor to represent women's tennis and to be part of this contemporary version of the iconic ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match." Kyrgios, who made it to the 2022 Wimbledon championship match, expressed he will enjoy the chance to play against Sabalenka, with whom he has the same representative. "When the world number one challenges you, you answer the call. I've got great admiration for Aryna; she's a force and a true champion," he said. "However 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 thrive on." Fun Spectacle or Harmful to Female Athletics? – Viewpoint Tennis fans have been split into opposing sides since talk of this exhibition started at the US Open in September. Certain individuals believe it is a fun diversion which will effectively draw the eyeballs of a younger demographic in the age of social-media content. Others believe it is a misguided venture – arranged by the Evolve agency which the players both share – and sets up an opportunity for women's sport to be belittled if Sabalenka is beaten by Kyrgios. The fact that Kyrgios pleaded guilty to assaulting an former partner in 2023, then later had to separate himself from controversial influencer Andrew Tate in 2024, is a key factor why that camp believe this exhibition could provoke sexism and misogyny. Sabalenka does not seem to be too worried the event will have a negative impact on female athletics. Speaking about the possibility at the US Open, she said it was a "cool idea" and chuckled as she pledged to "kick Nick's ass". It is hard, however, to see what she benefits from the event – particularly if she is defeated to a man who has not been in top form for a long time. For Kyrgios, he manages to stay relevant despite his continued absence from the tour and constantly in the public eye which he has consistently shown he loves to be in. At this point, details about the structure of the match are still scarce – although rules on serves and potential court modifications are believed to have been discussed.