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Nick Kyrgios won the latest version of tennis' “Battle of the Sexes,” beating tennis powerhouse Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in an exhibition match that was light entertainment rather than another landmark moment for gender equality.
There was laughter and jokes between the players, a few underhanded serves, excessive grunting at shots and even Sabalenka dancing during a timeout to entertain the crowd at the 17,000-seat Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, where the most expensive tickets sold for about US$800.
Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up who has played just six matches at tour level over the past three years due to wrist and knee injuries, appeared to be playing on his own at times and faced the disadvantage of Sabalenka's field, which was almost 10% smaller, in an attempt to level the playing field. Players were only given one serve per point, rather than two.
Kyrgios was drenched in sweat as he triumphed on his third match point and the pair were all smiles as they embraced at the gate.
Kyrgios admitted he was nervous and had to “buckle up.”
“I think this is a great step for the development of tennis,” the Australian said.
Sabalenka said the match was good preparation for next season with the Australian Open coming up in January and would like to play Kyrgios again to “get revenge”.
“I really enjoyed the show,” she said, “and I feel like the next time I play him, I'll learn the tactics, his strengths and weaknesses, and it will probably be a better match.”
The so-called “Battle of the Sexes” is a name borrowed from the 1973 match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, which King won in straight sets at the Houston Astrodome and took place amid King's attempts to start a women's tour and gain equal pay in tennis.
Fifty-two years later, the latest version had no wider cultural significance. Instead, Sabalenka and Kyrgios – employees of the same agency Evolve that organized the exhibition – simply wanted to put on a show, attract a younger audience and make some money.
Kyrgios could be seen as a controversial choice for such a match given that he pleaded guilty to pushing an ex-girlfriend to the ground during an argument in 2021 (he avoided conviction on a charge of common assault) and has previously expressed his opposition to equal pay in tennis.
