Article by Mihai Șovei – Published Thursday, December 11, 2025, 2:11 p.m. / Updated Thursday, December 11, 2025, 2:12 p.m.
Aryna Sabalenka (27 years old), the leader of the WTA ranking, was present on “The Tonight Show”, hosted by American comedian Jimmy Fallon, The tennis player talked about the duel with Nick Kyrgios, a demonstration match that will take place at the end of this month, joking about her opponent's evening.
On December 28, in Dubai, 52 years after the first duel in the “Battle of the Sexes”, between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, a new episode will take place between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios.
VIDEO. Aryna Sabalenka was present on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”
Invited on “The Tonight Show”, presented by the famous comedian Jimmy Fallon, Sabalenka spoke about the match that will take place at the end of this month in the United Arab Emirates.
The interview was a funny one, with Sabalenka joking about the match she will play against Nick Kyrgios in the “battle of the sexes”, an exhibition match. The Australian is known to be one of the funniest tennis players on the circuit, so the event is sure to be a hit with tennis fans.
“I like to challenge myself, and playing against a male athlete is a big challenge and I enjoy it. The visibility that the event has already gained is incredible. We are somehow taking tennis to the next level. It will definitely be a great match at a high level. I'm gonna kick his ass. That's one hundred percent“, declared the player from Belarus.
Fallon laughed at the tennis player's statement, asking her if she was serious. Sabalenka insisted: “You don't understand how stressed he is. For him, it's a lose-lose situation. For me, it's a win-win situation.”
It didn't take long, and the Australian reacted with a comment left on the player's Instagram page. Much to the amusement of the fans, the player posted the message “very loud” to the video where Sabalenka was talking about him.
Comment left by Nick Kyrgios on the tennis player's post / photo: Instagram capture
The 'Battle of the Sexes' is scheduled to take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at the Coca-Cola Arena indoor court on December 28, 2025. The match was originally scheduled to take place in Hong Kong, but was later moved to Dubai.
It will be played in the two traditional sets, in 6 games, and in the event of a tie, a tie-break will be contested, ending in 10 points.
Official event poster / photo: TNT Sports
