🔗 Share this article Aryna Sabalenka Set to Take On Nick Kyrgios in Modern Gender Showdown Exhibition The top-ranked female player and the Australian star will compete at the 17,000-capacity Coca-Cola Arena. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka is set to challenge Nick Kyrgios in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ event in the United Arab Emirates in December. The Belarusian Sabalenka, twenty-seven, and thirty-year-old Aussie Kyrgios – currently placed 652nd in the world – are scheduled to compete at the Coca-Cola Arena on December 28. Four-times Grand Slam champion Sabalenka is the current Wimbledon and US Open champion. Kyrgios, who reached a career-high world number 13 in 2016, has participated in just five games this year since recovering from a serious wrist injury that kept him out for a year and a half. He has not played on the ATP Tour since exiting in the Miami Open second round in March. "I have a lot of respect for Nick and his skill, but make no mistake, I'm ready to bring my A-game," Sabalenka stated. Past Context of Gender Showdowns A trio of recognized contests known as the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ have taken place – most famously between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973. American veteran Riggs had defeated Australia's Margaret Court before King exacted revenge a few months after. In 1992, a forty-year-old Jimmy Connors beat fellow multiple Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, then thirty-five, under hybrid rules. "I deeply admire Billie Jean King and what she has achieved for the female tennis," Sabalenka added. "It's an honor to represent women's tennis and to be part of this modern take of the legendary ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match." Kyrgios, who reached the 2022 Wimbledon championship match, expressed he will relish the chance to play against Sabalenka, with whom he has the same representative. "Being challenged by the top player, you step up to the plate. I've got great admiration for Aryna; she's a force and a genuine winner," he said. "However I've never backed down from a challenge, and I'm not just here to play, I'm here to thrill the crowd. This is what I thrive on." Harmless Entertainment or Damaging to Women's Sport? – Viewpoint Followers of the sport have been split into two camps since rumblings of this exhibition started at the US Open in September. Certain individuals believe it is a fun diversion which will effectively draw the eyeballs of a younger demographic in the age of digital media. Another group feels it is a misguided venture – organized by the Evolve agency which the players both share – and creates an opportunity for female athletics to be undermined if Sabalenka is defeated by Kyrgios. The fact that Kyrgios pleaded guilty to assaulting an former partner in 2023, then later had to separate himself from controversial influencer Andrew Tate in 2024, is a key factor why that camp believe this exhibition could unnecessarily fuel gender bias and misogyny. Sabalenka does not seem to be too worried the event will have a detrimental effect on women's sports. Speaking about the possibility at the US Open, she said it was a "interesting concept" and laughed as she pledged to "defeat Nick convincingly". It is hard, however, to see what she gains from the event – particularly if she is defeated to a man who has not been fit for a long time. For Kyrgios, he manages to stay relevant despite his continued absence from the tour and constantly in the public eye which he has consistently shown he loves to be in. At this point, specifics about the format of the match are still limited – although serving restrictions and potential adjustments to the court are believed to have been considered.