A concept long debated in the tennis world will return for the first time in 33 years when the women’s world No1 Aryna Sabalenka takes on the former men’s world No13 Nick Kyrgios in a match billed as the “Battle of the Sexes” in December.
Dubai’s Coca Cola Arena was confirmed on Tuesday as the venue for a showdown that has attracted plenty of intrigue and discourse ever since Kyrgios let slip in July that it was in the works. A date has been set for December 28, shortly before the 2026 season begins in Australia.
While some will question the sporting merits of this exhibition, there is undoubtedly much fascination in a direct one-on-one contest between the sexes. This goes back to 1973 when Billie Jean King famously defeated Bobby Riggs in a hyped-up match watched by a crowd of more than 30,000 people in Houston.
“I have so much respect for Billie Jean King and what she has done for the women’s game,” Sabalenka, 27, said. “I’m proud to represent women’s tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match. I have a lot of respect for Nick and his talent but make no mistake, I’m ready to bring my A-game.”
Riggs and King contested the most famous “Battle of the Sexes’ in tennis in 1973
JIM GARRETT/NY DAILY NEWS VIA GETTY IMAGES
Kyrgios, 30, is admittedly not as good a player as he once was. The Australian has struggled with wrist problems ever since he finished as runner-up at Wimbledon in 2022 and has played only five matches this season, with the most recent taking place at the Miami Open in March. Recently he suggested that the Australian Open in January could be his last before retirement.
This “Battle of the Sexes” clash will be a lucrative earner for Kyrgios and Sabalenka, although the amount of appearance money on offer is undisclosed. The idea was facilitated by Stuart Duguid, a savvy Scottish agent who has both players on the roster of his Evolve management agency.
“When the world No1 challenges you, you answer the call,” Kyrgios said. “I’ve got massive respect for Aryna, she’s a powerhouse and a true champion. But I’ve never backed down from a challenge, and I’m not just here to play — I’m here to entertain.”
The stark reality is that there are considerable differences in men’s and women’s tennis, largely because of the biological physical benefits for a male such as strength, speed and endurance. The fastest recorded serve hit by a man on a sanctioned speed measurement device is 157.2mph (John Isner), while the fastest by a woman is 131mph (Sabine Lisicki).
Sabalenka says she intends to “kick Kyrgios’s ass” in their December exhibition
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND
Because of this, previous “Battle of the Sexes” editions have allowed for a compromise. Riggs was a retired 55-year-old when he lost 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to a 29-year-old King, although he did beat a 30-year-old Margaret Court 6-2, 6-1 four months before that.
Jimmy Connors was aged 40 when he played a 35-year-old Martina Navratilova in 1992, but there were still special rules introduced to try to bridge the gap. Connors was allowed to hit only one serve per point rather than the usual two, while Navratilova had a wider court to hit into with half the doubles area opened up on the sides. Connors won 7-5, 6-2.
There have been informal matches between men and women since then, such as the practice sets that Karsten Braasch played against Serena and Venus Williams in 1998. The American sisters had both claimed as teenagers that they could beat any man ranked outside the top 200, prompting the world No203 Braasch to put up a challenge during the Australian Open.
On a quiet outside court away from public eye Braasch claimed he turned up after enjoying “a leisurely round of golf in the morning followed by a couple of shandies”. He beat Serena 6-1 and Venus 6-2.
“Both sisters are great tennis players and hit the ball extremely well,” Braasch told Observer Sport Monthly. “However, if you’ve been playing on the men’s tour there are certain shots you can play that are going to put them in difficulty. Try and put a lot of spin on the ball — I was hitting the ball with a degree of spin they don’t face week in, week out.
Braasch beat both Williams sisters in practice sets and highlighted the difference in spin and speed between the men’s and women’s tours
DAVID GRAY/REUTERS
“Another key is to chase down every shot. In our match, they were putting shots into the corners that on the women’s tour would be winners but I was able to return them.”
The idea of men playing women in singles was particularly appealing to Donald Trump. Long before he became president of the United States he made an offer to John McEnroe, who by then had long retired to take up a media career, during a visit to the 2000 US Open. “I was calling a match and suddenly I get this envelope, and it’s from Donald Trump, who is promoter galore,” McEnroe recalled. “So he wrote me a letter, it went, ‘Dear John, I want to offer you $1million to play either Serena or Venus.’”
The match never came to fruition, although McEnroe caused controversy in 2017 when he claimed that Serena would be ranked “700 in the world” if she played on the men’s professional circuit. This was not well received by Serena, who replied to McEnroe on social media: “I adore and respect you but please, please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based. I’ve never played anyone ranked ‘there’ nor do I have time.”
McEnroe says he was offered $1million by Trump to play either Serena or Venus Williams
ROB TRINGALI/GETTY IMAGES FOR DIRECTV
The initial rules set for the match in December will limit each player to one serve in an effort that organisers believe will “neutralise Nick’s natural power” on this shot. The court dimensions will also be 9 per cent smaller on Sabalenka’s side, with organisers citing science which shows that “women move on average about 9 per cent slower than men”. Two regular sets will be played with a ten-point tie-break as a third-set decider.
Kyrgios has long been bullish about his chances of beating Sabalenka, talking up the prospect during a conversation with his fellow professional Alexander Bublik on the Tea with Bublik podcast in September.
“She’s not going to beat me,” Kyrgios said. “Do you really think I have to try 100 per cent? I will try because I’m representing the men’s side. I think I’ll win 6-2.”
Asked by Bublik to comment on the technical differences between men and women, Kyrgios replied: “Our serves. Women can’t really return those. And then we can just chip and drop-shot.”
There are concerns over reputational damage to the women’s game if Kyrgios comfortably beats Sabalenka. But with an average forehand speed of 80mph at this year’s US Open, which outpaced Carlos Alcaraz (79mph), Jannik Sinner (78mph) and Novak Djokovic (76mph), she is hopeful of victory.
“I genuinely think that I’m going to win,” Sabalenka said in September. “I’ll definitely go out there, and I’ll try my best to kick his ass.”