Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios will meet in the “Battle of the Sexes” on Sunday, but the only similarity between the Dubai exhibition and the historic 1973 match is the name, Billie Jean King has said.
Women’s world No 1 Sabalenka, a four-time grand slam champion, takes on injury-prone Australian Kyrgios in a highly publicised showdown that has divided tennis fans.
The title “Battle of the Sexes” harked back to the meeting between King and Bobby Riggs in September 1973, in what was a game-changing moment for the sport.
Back then, there was far more at stake with the nascent women’s professional tour, set up by King, fighting for its legitimacy, and prize money for female players still far lower than for the men.
Beyond the tennis court, women struggled for equal rights in almost every aspect of life.
Billie Jean King (centre) has reservations about the match, but still hopes Aryna Sabalenka wins. Photo: Getty Images
“It’s not the same thing,” King, now 82, said. “Ours was about social change … this one is not.