Ben Shelton has weighed in on the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios as he revealed if he will be tuning in.

Sabalenka and Kyrgios will meet in an exhibition match at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 28 December.

The match has been organised by Evolve, a sports agency representing both Sabalenka and Kyrgios, which was founded by four-time major winner Naomi Osaka.

Special rules will be implemented for the match as both players will be limited to using one serve, while Sabalenka’s side of the court will be 9% smaller. Evolve have claimed that data shows female players move about 9% slower than men on average.

It will be a best-of-three set match, with a 10-point match tiebreak used in place of a third set if required.

The event has drawn strong criticism, with some in the tennis world — including Tennis365’s Kevin Palmer — expressing concerns that it could have a negative impact on women’s tennis.

In an interview with Front Office Sports, Shelton assessed that the controversial contest will be “interesting” and predicted it will be “tough” for Kyrgios.

“I was with both of them last weekend and it’s going to be tough for him,” said the world No 9.

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“You know, he has a court that I think is, I think, 9% smaller. He only has one serve; she has two.

“And obviously, she (Sabalenka) is the best player in the world right now. She’s very strong from the baseline.

“You’re taking away the weapon of his (Kyrgios’) first serve. So I think it’s going to be an interesting match. It’s definitely something I would tune in to.”

Speaking to BBC Sport, Sabalenka disagreed with the notion that her match with Kyrgios could be damaging for the women’s game.

“I don’t agree,” the world No 1 said.

“I am not putting myself at any risk. We’re there to have fun and bring great tennis. Whoever wins, wins.

“It’s so obvious that the man is biologically stronger than the woman, but it’s not about that.

“This event is only going to help bring women’s tennis to a higher level.”

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