Nick Kyrgios defeats Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai as exhibition match draws fierce backlash
Nick Kyrgios defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in Dubai, winning the latest version of tennis’s Battle of the Sexes in a contest that quickly drifted away from serious sport and towards spectacle.
The match was promoted as an intriguing exhibition but left many questioning its purpose. Kyrgios, ranked outside the world’s top 600 and with only one competitive singles win since the end of 2022, relied on his overwhelming serve and raw power to overpower the women’s world number one. Despite visible fatigue and heavy breathing early in the match, the Australian’s ability to dictate points was never seriously threatened.
Sabalenka showed flashes of quality and athleticism. She moved well, struck clean winners and remained competitive throughout. Yet there was a lingering sense that the contest was stacked against her. The modified rules were meant to level the playing field but instead appeared to favour Kyrgios. Sabalenka’s court was marginally smaller, yet both players were restricted to a single serve, a change that significantly benefitted the stronger server.
From the baseline, Kyrgios controlled rallies whenever he chose. His serve repeatedly forced Sabalenka into defensive positions, leaving her scrambling under relentless pace. While she broke his serve more than once and fought hard in key moments, the power imbalance remained clear.
The turning point in the first set came with the score tied at 3-3. Sabalenka served at 40-15 and appeared in control. Two consecutive faults shifted momentum. Kyrgios capitalised immediately, broke serve and closed out the set with ease.
In the second set, Kyrgios briefly lost focus and fell behind 3-1. Even then, his lack of movement did not prevent him from regaining control. He mixed brute force with sliced forehands that dragged Sabalenka forward, disrupting her rhythm. Five straight games followed as Kyrgios wrapped up the match.
What drew as much attention as the tennis was everything surrounding it. Sabalenka danced during a timeout. Tennis balls were thrown into the crowd from a designer bag. Celebrity interruptions caused delays, including a stadium announcement heralding the arrival of former Brazilian football stars. On match point, Kyrgios used his timeout simply to recover his breath.
The atmosphere felt designed for social media rather than sporting integrity. For many observers, it bore little resemblance to the original Battle of the Sexes that defined an era. The famous 1973 contest between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs carried genuine stakes and lasting cultural impact. King’s victory was seen as a defining moment for equality in sport.
This Dubai exhibition produced the opposite reaction. Social media response was swift and divided. Some celebrated Kyrgios’s win. Others criticised the event for reinforcing damaging narratives. Tennis purists expressed frustration, while misogynistic voices revelled in the outcome.
Kyrgios described the match as difficult and praised Sabalenka’s competitiveness, insisting it could have gone either way. Few agreed. The consensus was that the structure of the contest removed suspense rather than created it.
What remained was a troubling sense that a once meaningful concept had been reduced to entertainment at the expense of credibility. Instead of advancing conversation around equality or innovation in the sport, the match left many wondering whether tennis had undermined itself.