Aryna Sabalenka is taking an almighty risk later this month, as she faces Nick Kyrgios in the latest iteration of the Battle of the Sexes.
Set to take place in Dubai at the back-end of December, it pits the top-ranked female tennis player in the world against the supremely talented Nick Kyrgios.
Once a Wimbledon finalist, it has been some time since he reached that stage at an event of that magnitude.
Injuries have ravaged a once-promising career, and he now sits in the 600s on the world rankings.
Many have criticised Aryna Sabalenka for even accepting this challenge, due to the potential scrutiny it will put the women’s game under. Despite that, she remains bullish when assessing her chances of success.
Aryna Sabalenka has a message for Nick Kyrgios ahead of their match
In fact, speaking on-court after her latest exhibition match, she sent a warning to Kyrgios, who will have been preparing to enter that same court in Atlanta.
Interviewed by the recently retired Chris Eubanks, the four-time Grand Slam champion was asked whether she would be sticking around to scout out the next match, as the 29-year-old was due to play against Ben Shelton in the next match of this event.
The 2025 Battle of the Sexes belittles women’s tennis – prove me wrong…
Her answer was short, as she took aim at Kyrgios: “No, I know I’m going to win that one, so I don’t even have to be there to watch his game. Come on! [Laughs].”
Just last month, Kyrgios gave his honest assessment of Sabalenka’s game, and both seem confident of their chances to claim the victory.
Could Aryna Sabalenka really beat Nick Kyrgios in the Battle of the Sexes?
Whilst the court and conditions have been modified to try and bring the men’s and women’s games closer, it still feels like it will be a tough task for Sabalenka to trouble Kyrgios, despite being the best player on the WTA Tour.
After all, his serve is ruthless and pinpoint, and he boasts a bag of tricks seldom seen in women’s tennis.
The Belarusian is a brilliant, well-rounded talent with blistering power that certainly rivals the men.
Battles of the Sexes 2025 rules
- The exhibition will be the best of three sets, with a 10 point tie-breaker if it goes to a decider
- The dimensions of Sabalenka’s side of the court will be 9% smaller
- Each player will only receive one serve
In fact, during the 2024 US Open, Sabalenka’s average forehand speed remained higher than that of the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and even the eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
However, the crucial difference is the speed at which the ball will come back at her off Kyrgios’ racquet, compared to when she strikes it at other women with that power.
She will almost definitely strike plenty of winners and put on a real show for the crowd. It does seem unlikely that she will claim the victory though, which could prove to be a dark day for the women’s game.
