The world’s top-ranked female tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka, will face enigmatic Australian Nick Kyrgios in a “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition match in Dubai on December 28, as announced by the organisers on Tuesday.
Kyrgios, who achieved a career high of 13th in 2016, has participated in just five matches this year after coming back from a lengthy wrist injury that sidelined him for 18 months. He has not competed on the ATP Tour since his defeat in the second round of the Miami Open in March. Kyrgios is perhaps more widely known for his commentary and social media presence, given his lack of recent matches.
Sabalenka, 27, will go head-to-head with Kyrgios at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai in a modern version of tennis legend Billie Jean King’s iconic 1973 face-off against fellow American Bobby Riggs, which became a pivotal moment for both tennis and the women’s rights movement.
This match took place in Houston’s Astrodome and captured the attention of approximately 90 million viewers globally, who watched King secure a straight-sets win that advanced the cause for equality in sports.
Riggs, who was 55 at the time, had defeated Australia’s Margaret Court just four months before King’s victory, when she was 29 years old and exacted her revenge.
In another instance in 1992, eight-time Grand Slam winner Jimmy Connors, then 40, defeated 18-time major champion Martina Navratilova, who was 35, under altered rules.
In recent months, Sabalenka and Kyrgios have bantered about their upcoming matchup, which was initially meant to be held in Hong Kong.
Reaching his peak singles ranking of 13 in 2016, Kyrgios also made it to the Wimbledon final in 2022.
The 30-year-old Aussie is still a star attraction on and off the court during Grand Slam tournaments, thanks to his innate talent and maverick personality, occasionally finding himself in the midst of controversies.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images