Overview
- Nick Kyrgios beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in Dubai in an exhibition billed as a modern 'Battle of the Sexes.'
- The match used bespoke conditions, including a one-serve rule for both players and a roughly 9% reduction of Sabalenka’s court on her receiving side.
- Sabalenka and Kyrgios defended the event as entertainment that brought attention to tennis, saying they were puzzled by the negativity.
- Legacy figures and analysts, including Billie Jean King and Rennae Stubbs, questioned the premise and framed the event as a publicity exercise that risked trivialising the women’s game.
- Reports noted widespread broadcast freezes on Tennis Channel in the U.S. and BBC in the U.K., and coverage highlighted that players competed for pride with payment understood to be appearance fees arranged by promoter Evolve.