{"id":366066,"date":"2025-12-23T19:22:24","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T19:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/366066\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T19:22:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T19:22:24","slug":"kyrgios-v-sabalenka-battle-of-the-sexes-start-time-and-how-to-watch-controversial-tennis-exhibition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/366066\/","title":{"rendered":"Kyrgios v Sabalenka: \u2018Battle of the Sexes\u2019 start time and how to watch controversial tennis exhibition"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Aryna Sabalenka<\/a> faces Nick Kyrgios<\/a> in a modern-day \u2018Battle of the Sexes\u2019 tennis exhibition using modified rules. <\/p>\n

In September, Kyrgios claimed that he could beat Sabalenka<\/a>, the women\u2019s No 1 and four-time grand slam champion, while suggesting that he would not need to try \u201c100 per cent\u201d to win. <\/p>\n

In response, Sabalenka said she would \u201ckick his ass\u201d and Evolve – the agency that represents both players – made the controversial match-up official, with it now taking place during the sport\u2019s off-season. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

In the original 1973 \u2018Battle of the Sexes\u2019, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs, with King\u2019s victory in Houston going down as one of the most famous matches of all time. <\/p>\n

Sabalenka has been the best player in the world over the last couple of seasons and won her fourth grand slam title by beating Amanda Anisimova in the US Open final <\/a>in September. <\/p>\n

Critics of the match, which will be shown on the BBC, have pointed to the difference between this exhibition and the original 1973 Battle of the Sexes, which was about achieving societal change, arguing that it provides a platform for misogynists to diminish the women\u2019s game. <\/p>\n

When will the \u2018Battle of the Sexes\u2019 take place? <\/p>\n

The match between Sabalenka and Kyrgios will take place on Sunday December 28 from 3:45pm GMT (UK time). The venue will be Dubai\u2019s Coca-Cola Arena. <\/p>\n

TV Channel and how to watch<\/p>\n

It will be shown live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK. Clare Balding will present the programme while commentary will be provided by Andrew Cotter. <\/p>\n

What will the rules be? <\/p>\n

The players will be limited to one serve each, while Sabalenka\u2019s side of the court will be nine per cent smaller. The match will take place over best of three set, with a match tiebreak, to ten points, deciding the winner if required. <\/p>\n

The organisers, the Evolve agency that represents both Kyrgios and Sabalenka, said Sabalenka\u2019s side of the court will be smaller to \u201creflect average movement-speed differences between men and women\u201d – while the players will only have one serve in an effort to neutralise the Australian\u2019s power. <\/p>\n

What else did Aryna Sabalenka say? <\/p>\n

Sabalenka was asked about the \u2018Battle of the Sexes\u2019 match, as well as some of Kyrgios\u2019s comments, during the US Open in September. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think it’s cool idea, you know. I think it’s gonna be spectacular to watch,\u201d she said. \u201cIt’s going to be fun, especially against someone like Nick. <\/p>\n

\u201cLike he said in another interview, that I genuinely think that I’m going to win, and I’ll definitely go out there, and I’ll try my best to kick his ass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Aryna<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Aryna Sabalenka is the World No 1 and has been the dominant force on the WTA Tour (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)<\/p>\n

In a press release confirming the exhibition event, Sabalenka added: “I have so much respect for Billie Jean King and what she has done for the women’s game. <\/p>\n

\u201cI’m proud to represent women’s tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic Battle of the Sexes match. <\/p>\n

\u201cDubai is my home, and I know this city loves big, entertaining events. I have a lot of respect for Nick and his talent, but make no mistake, I’m ready to bring my A-game.\u201d <\/p>\n

What did Nick Kyrgios say about the match? <\/p>\n

Kyrgios played just five official matches in 2025 due to injury and pulled out of Wimbledon and the US Open. With his ranking plummeting to 671, he is targeting a return at the Australian Open<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cGetting to know her, she\u2019s definitely a character,\u201d Kyrgios said a few months ago. \u201cI\u2019m super excited for that. I think she\u2019s the type of player who genuinely thinks she\u2019s going to win.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe [Sabalenka] is not gonna beat me. Do you really think I have to try 100 per cent? I\u2019m gonna try. Because I\u2019m representing the men\u2019s side. I\u2019d say like 6-2 maybe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to go there and say, \u2018Oh, she\u2019s so good, I can\u2019t play this.\u2019 That would make me look so bad. I\u2019d imagine the internet would go crazy \u2014 go bananas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, our serves, women can\u2019t really return those,\u201d Kyrgios also claimed. \u201cAnd then we can just chip and drop shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m going to be okay. I\u2019m going to go there, and I don\u2019t want her to win. That\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Nick<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Nick Kyrgios has struggled with injuries since reaching the Wimbledon final and US Open quarter-final in 2023 (Getty)<\/p>\n

In the press release announcing the Battle of the Sexes match, Kyrgios said: “When the World No.1 challenges you, you answer the call. I’ve got massive respect for Aryna; she’s a powerhouse and a true champion. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut I’ve never backed down from a challenge, and I’m not just here to play\u2014I’m here to entertain. This is what I live for. Dubai, get ready for a show, because I’m going to bring the heat at the Coca-Cola Arena”.<\/p>\n

What happened in the 1973 \u2018Battle of the Sexes\u2019? <\/p>\n

Billie Jean King, the 12-time grand slam champion, reluctantly agreed to take on Bobby Riggs, a self-proclaimed \u201cmale chauvinist pig\u201d, after he thrashed Margaret Court in a match later known as the \u2018Mother\u2019s Day Massacre\u2019. <\/p>\n

King was 29 and the top women\u2019s player in the world when she faced Riggs, the former No 1 ranked men\u2019s player who, at the age of 55, boasted he could beat any women\u2019s player. <\/p>\n

In what remains the most-watched tennis match of all time, with 30,000 people in attendance in Houston and an estimated 90 million watching around the world, King defeated Riggs in straight-sets. It created a moment that helped power the gathering force of the women\u2019s rights movement in the United States.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

The match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs was dubbed \u2018The Battle of the Sexes\u2019 (AP)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":345167,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[99,428],"class_list":{"0":"post-366066","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tennis","8":"tag-sports","9":"tag-tennis"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366066\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/345167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}