Overview
- World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios play today at Dubai’s Coca‑Cola Arena, with live UK coverage on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 15:45 GMT.
- The best-of-three exhibition uses special rules: one serve per player, a 9% smaller court on Sabalenka’s side, and a 10-point tiebreak if a decider is needed.
- Organiser Evolve, which represents both players, framed the event as entertainment, while Sabalenka says she aims to showcase women’s tennis and embrace a unique athletic challenge.
- Criticism persists, with Billie Jean King stressing this is not comparable to her 1973 match against Bobby Riggs and figures like Rennae Stubbs questioning the event’s value for the women’s game.
- Kyrgios, a former Wimbledon finalist now ranked in the 600s after injury-hit seasons and limited 2025 match play, says the one-serve rule removes his biggest weapon as the arena trends toward a sellout.