🔗 Share this article Aryna Sabalenka Set to Challenge Kyrgios in Contemporary Gender Showdown Exhibition The top-ranked female player and the Australian star will compete at the 17,000-capacity Coca-Cola Arena. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka will face 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 Aussie Kyrgios – currently placed 652nd in the world – are scheduled to play each other at the Dubai venue on 28 December. Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka is the current Wimbledon and US Open title-holder. Kyrgios, who reached a career-high 13th in 2016, has only played five matches this year since recovering from a serious wrist injury that sidelined him for 18 months. He has not played on the ATP Tour since exiting in the Miami Open early stage in March. "I greatly admire Nick and his skill, but rest assured, I'm ready to bring my best performance," Sabalenka stated. Past Context of ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Three official matches labeled as the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ have occurred – most famously between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973. US legend Riggs had beaten Australia's Margaret Court before King exacted revenge four months later. In 1992, a 40-year-old Jimmy Connors overcame fellow multiple Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, then thirty-five, under hybrid rules. "I have so much respect for Billie Jean King and what she has done for the women's game," Sabalenka added. "It's an honor to stand for women's tennis and to be part of this contemporary version of the iconic ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match." Kyrgios, who reached the 2022 Wimbledon championship match, expressed he will enjoy the chance to play against Sabalenka, with whom he has the same representative. "Being challenged by the top player, you step up to the plate. I've got great admiration for Aryna; she's a force and a true champion," he said. "However I've never shied away from a challenge, and I'm not just here to play, I'm here to entertain. This is what I live for." Fun Spectacle or Damaging to Female Athletics? – Analysis Tennis fans have been split into two camps since rumblings of this exhibition began at the US Open in September. Certain individuals believe it is a bit of harmless entertainment which will effectively draw the eyeballs of a younger demographic in the age of digital media. Others believe it is a misguided venture – organized by the Evolve agency which the players both share – and sets up an opportunity for women's sport to be undermined if Sabalenka is defeated 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 some critics believe this exhibition could provoke gender bias and anti-women sentiment. Sabalenka does not seem to be overly concerned the event will have a negative impact on women's sports. Speaking about the idea at the US Open, she said it was a "cool idea" and laughed as she vowed to "defeat Nick convincingly". It is hard, however, to see what she benefits from the event – particularly if she is defeated to a man who has not been fit for a long time. For Kyrgios, he remains in the spotlight despite his continued absence from the tour and firmly in the spotlight which he has consistently shown he enjoys. At this point, specifics about the format of the match are still scarce – although rules on serves and potential court modifications are believed to have been discussed.