{"id":117311,"date":"2025-09-05T22:18:25","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T22:18:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/117311\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T22:18:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T22:18:25","slug":"aryna-sabalenka-hits-back-at-nick-kyrgios-ahead-of-their-battle-of-the-sexes-match-after-tennis-bad-boy-made-controversial-claim-about-his-chances-against-world-no1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/117311\/","title":{"rendered":"Aryna Sabalenka hits back at Nick Kyrgios ahead of their ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match – after tennis bad boy made controversial claim about his chances against world No1"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ABDI RASHID, SPORTS REPORTER<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 08:27 EDT, 5 September 2025 | Updated: 11:37 EDT, 5 September 2025 <\/p>\n

Aryna Sabalenka<\/a> has hit back at Nick Kyrgios<\/a> ahead of their Battle of the Sexes showdown.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The eagerly anticipated clash is likely to take place in Hong Kong<\/a> ahead of the Australian Open<\/a> in January.<\/p>\n

Sabalenka is in scintillating form at the US Open, having beaten Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals to seal her place in the final.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Earlier in the week,\u00a0Kyrgios took aim at the world No 1, claiming that he won’t need to put in 100 per cent effort to beat her<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sabalenka responded: ‘Well I think it’s a cool idea, you know. It’s going to be spectacular to watch, it’s going to be fun, especially against someone like Nick.<\/p>\n

‘Like he said in another interview, that I genuinely think I’m going to win.<\/p>\n

Sabalenka on her upcoming Battle of the Sexes match against Nick Kyrgios<\/p>\n

Aryna: \u201cI’ll definitely go out there, and I’ll try my best to kick his ass\u201d \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it a good thing for women’s tennis?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aryna: It’s gonna be good thing if I’ll be able to beat him.\u201d<\/p>\n

(via US Open Press) pic.twitter.com\/STDYhmW7jk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 5, 2025<\/a> \"Aryna <\/p>\n

Aryna Sabalenka has hit back at Nick Kyrgios ahead of their Battle of the Sexes showdown<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Kyrgios claimed that he won’t need to put in 100 per cent effort to beat World No 1 Sabalenka<\/p>\n

\"Before <\/p>\n

Before taking on the exhibition event, Sabalenka will face off with Amanda Anisimova in the US Open final<\/p>\n

‘And I’ll definitely go out there and try my best to kick his a**.<\/p>\n

‘It’s going to be a good thing if I beat him. For now we are not sure about the place but if we’re going to bring it, we’re going to bring it to somewhere where there’s going to be a lot of people watching and we’re going to put a lot of pressure on Nick.’\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking on a podcast with Kazakh tennis star Alexander Bublik, Kyrgios said he is ‘super excited’ to face Sabalenka, but doesn’t think she poses even a slight threat to him.<\/p>\n

‘She’s the type of player who genuinely thinks she’s going to win,’ Kyrgios said with a smile.<\/p>\n

‘She’s not going to beat me. Do you really think I have to try 100 per cent?’<\/p>\n

Bublik responded with: ‘I think you can just go there, have a nice night out before that and say ‘OK, I don’t care’. My question was, will you try?’<\/p>\n

Kyrgios was adamant he won’t play in a completely half-hearted fashion.<\/p>\n

‘I’m going to try. I’m representing you, the men’s side. I would say like 6-2 maybe,’ he said.<\/p>\n

‘Our [men’s] serves, women can’t return them and then we can just chip and drop shot.’<\/p>\n

Whether the exhibition match actually goes ahead remains to be seen given Kyrgios’ ongoing injuries.<\/p>\n

The 30-year-old has not played a match since March and withdrew from Wimbledon, the French Open and the US Open this year.<\/p>\n

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\n Aryna Sabalenka hits back at Nick Kyrgios ahead of their ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match – after tennis bad boy made controversial claim about his chances against world No1<\/p>\n