Overview
- World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka faces Nick Kyrgios on Sunday at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, with play due to start at 8pm local time (4pm UK).
- BBC One will broadcast live in the UK from 3:45pm with Clare Balding hosting and Andrew Cotter on commentary, and the match will stream on BBC iPlayer.
- The exhibition uses special conditions: best-of-three sets with a 10-point deciding tiebreak, a single serve per point for both players, and a 9% smaller court on Sabalenka’s side.
- No ranking points are at stake, and the event was arranged by Evolve, which represents both players, after Kyrgios’ US Open challenge and Sabalenka’s acceptance.
- Sabalenka frames the contest as a personal test and showcase for women’s tennis; Kyrgios cites entertainment and competition, while Billie Jean King says it is “not the same thing” as 1973 and former pros have called the format gimmicky.