The 'battle of the sexes' went to Nick Kyrgios. A man watching tennis from the sidelines beat the world number one in girls
At Dubai's Coca Cola Arena, the 'Battle of the Sexes' was thrashed by Australia's Nick Kyrgios 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday. The loser, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, announced immediately after the match that she wanted a rematch. It was a match with numerous breaks and a Kyrgios, who has been out of the game for a long time, who forced especially in the decisive games.
Aryna and Nick hugged at the end PHOTO gazzetta.it
“It could end anyway” said a visibly exhausted Nick Kyrgios at the end of the “Battle of the Sexes”, a duel which the Australian won 6-3, 6-3 in just over an hour. The specific rules undoubtedly played a role: the impossibility of a second serve, as well as the smaller court on Sabalenka's side.
Kyrgios gave the impression that he was in control of the match and, above all, that he could force at key moments. Sabalenka fought, played some excellent points, showed significantly better form and physical condition than her opponent, but could not do more. “I would love a rematch in the future” said the girls' world No. 1. “I feel I played at a high level and I can do even better next time we face each other“.
Billie Jean King spoke to the BBC about the match before it started. “The only similarity is that it is about a man and a woman. Otherwise, no: our match was about social change. I knew I had to beat him. I had many reasons to win. I hope it's a great match – obviously I want Sabalenka to win – but it's not the same“, said the former champion.
Nick Kyrgios, 30, is currently ranked 671 in the world. He has played six games in the past three years, plagued by injuries, with his best ranking being No. 13 in October 2016.We have both played in big stadiums all over the world. I know the whole world will be watching“, said the “kangaroo”, who before the game was sure of victory, announcing a double 6-2. He narrowly missed the forecast.
Aryna Sabalenka, 27, is the world No. 1 and has won four titles in 2025: the US Open, Madrid, Miami and Brisbane, in addition to reaching the finals at Roland Garros and the Australian Open. “I know: in the 1973 match, they were trying to fight for different things. We are here to take tennis to another level and raise the visibility of our sport to help it grow. I feel that women have already proven that they deserve equality, and for my part, I will simply show that we are capable of fighting hard against a man and having fun. I hope she looks and sees how strong and resilient I am and that I have the courage to challenge myself by playing with a man“said Aryna, in the midst of polemical discussions regarding the equality of prizes at the Grand Slam tournaments. Sabalenka was noticed by her rivals in the circuit, being suspected of a superior force.
The most famous match between a man and a woman on a tennis court took place on September 20, 1973, between the 29-year-old Billie Jean King (who had already won 10 of her 12 career Grand Slam titles) and Bobby Riggs (the former king of Wimbledon and two US Opens, who was 55 at the time). The original “Battle of the Sexes,” played at the Astrodome in Houston, was won by Billie Jean King (6-4, 6-3, 6-3). More than 90 million viewers watched the match on television.
The match in Dubai was played with special rules: Aryne's court was 9% smaller than Kyrgios'to reflect differences in average movement speed between men and women“. There was no second serve for either athlete. 17,000 spectators were announced, including former Brazilian soccer greats Ronaldo and Kaka.
