Aryna Sabalenka slammed as 'arrogant' after Battle of Sexes match against Kyrgios

Tuesday, 30 December 2025 at 01:40

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byJordan Reynolds

The divided reaction to Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios's Battle of the Sexes encounter continues, with another sportsperson brutally criticizing Sabalenka for participating in the event.

Kyrgios comfortably beat the WTA world No. 1 6-3, 6-3 in Dubai. Although the former Wimbledon men's singles runner-up insisted that Sabalenka pushed him hard, he never looked in serious danger of being upset.

Afterward, Sabalenka expressed openness to a rematch, wanting revenge. Many fans do not want that, feeling the contest was low-quality and a waste of time, and would prefer to focus again on the ATP and WTA Tours.

Georgie Parker, who represented Australia's hockey team at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is among Sabalenka's strongest critics. In her article for The Nightly, Parker wrote that Sabalenka was arrogant and harmed the cause of equality in sports.

"Aryna Sabalenka has done a massive and arrogant disservice to female athletes around the world. ‘This match - played on a modified court in Dubai - did nothing for women athletes who have fought for equal pay, respect, and opportunity. Instead, it has reinforced the tired, lazy narrative that women’s sport is inherently inferior to men's."

Before the match, Sabalenka spoke of wanting to kick Kyrgios's ass. However, Parker does think that would have been positive for women's sport anyway, and the Belarusian's paycheck was the only actual positive she attained.

"Beating a man who doesn’t train, doesn’t compete, and doesn’t take the sport seriously isn’t some great feminist victory. There was never going to be a winner here - except Sabalenka’s bank account."

The reality is that Sabalenka lost to an unfit-looking Kyrgios despite having a bigger court to hit into. The sentiment from many that it's not good for the WTA Tour and women's tennis is understandable, but some think the exhibition was being taken too seriously by those who are unhappy.

Aryna Sabalenka had a dig at Nick Kyrgios after their Battle of the Sexes contest

Falling 3-6, 3-6 to Nick Kyrgios in their match in Dubai did not stop Aryna Sabalenka from delivering some fighting talk afterward. The Belarusian is among the fieriest competitors in tennis, and retained that edge.

Sabalenka dismissed Kyrgios's pre-match talk about being an unpredictable player, claimed she knew where most of his shots were going, and said the difference was his superior speed and power.

Those words are a good insight into why men and women play separately. Female players are no less capable of understanding the game, and many, like Sabalenka, have better tennis IQs than most of their male counterparts.

However, the physical differences between men and women are impossible to ignore. Kyrgios was not moving anywhere near as quickly as in his prime, but Sabalenka admitted that it was still faster than her athleticism.

That inherent contrast is among the reasons some do not like the Battle of the Sexes concept since it risks unnecessarily devaluing women's sports. Some counter that any additional attention to tennis and sports overall should be considered positive and productive.