Aryna Sabalenka defends Battle of Sexes match with Nick Kyrgios after mixed reaction

Thursday, 06 November 2025 at 17:31

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byJordan Reynolds

Aryna Sabalenka has explained why she thinks her Battle of the Sexes match with Nick Kyrgios is a 'win-win' for her, after many fans criticized the announcement of it.

On Tuesday, the contest between the WTA world No. 1 and Kyrgios was announced for December 28th in Dubai. Both players had spoken about it several times throughout the year until the date was finally revealed.

Although both players expressed respect for each other in the exhibition's announcement, there has been some trash talk back and forth. Kyrgios believes he can defeat Sabalenka without trying at 100%.

The Belarusian, one of the most self-confident and intense competitors ever seen in tennis, believes she can win, and has spoken about trying to kick the ATP player's ass and put a lot of pressure on him.

While some think the match will put a welcome spotlight on tennis and potentially attract more fans to the sport, others have reacted negatively and think the event could be harmful to women's tennis.

No rule changes have been announced, but rumored alterations include each player having only one serve and Sabalenka hitting into a larger court. Some fans worry that the WTA Tour will be ridiculed if its No. 1 player does not come near winning despite that added help.

Others do not like Sabalenka collaborating with a man who admitted to pushing his ex-girlfriend during an argument. Kyrgios avoided a criminal conviction for that offense, which the court called "a single act of stupidity or frustration."

Speaking to The National at the 2025 WTA Finals, Sabalenka thinks the situation is a lose-lose for Kyrgios and that the pressure is on him. Conversely, this year's US Open women's singles champion believes she faces less pressure, but does not want to lose any set 0-6.

"I just want to play my best tennis and put him in a very uncomfortable situation, because for him it's lose-lose, you know? If you win against the girl, it's like, 'Oh yeah, congrats, well done.' If you lose against the girl, then it's, you know, 'Come on, Nick!'"

"And for me, it's win-win. If I win, that's like, OK, we have something to talk about. And if I lose, I mean, I just hope that I'm not going to lose 6-0. And if I lose, that it's a tight battle, and I just want to force him to go crazy on court."

Although there has been some banter and trash talk ahead of the contest, Sabalenka said she does feel a responsibility to play well and give it her best as the WTA representative for the exhibition.

"I totally understand the responsibility of this match that I, in a way, put on my shoulders. And that's why I'll go out there, and there's no jokes. I'll play full. And hopefully, I can just keep up with Billie Jean and probably help women’s tennis to get better conditions."

Sabalenka also cheekily mentioned that she told Kyrgios about the possibility of having Novak Djokovic, who shares a good relationship with her and Kyrgios, in her box for the match.

"I really hope to bring him into my box and be my coach just to put an extra pressure on Nick. I already told Nick, like, ‘Nick, you know what, Novak is really helping me, with the tactics and everything’. Which his reply was like, ‘Well, he always struggled with me’. But I was like, ‘But he always won. So, you know what? Probably you're going to struggle against me as well.'"