Overview
- The exhibition is confirmed for Sunday at Dubai’s Coca‑Cola Arena, with BBC One carrying live UK coverage from 3:45pm and additional broadcasts on outlets including Tennis Channel, Stan Sport and SonyLIV.
- Rules are tailored for a cross‑gender contest: one serve per point for each player, a roughly 9% smaller court on Sabalenka’s side, best‑of‑three sets and a 10‑point deciding tiebreak if required.
- The event is independent of the ATP and WTA tours with no ranking points, and it has been packaged and promoted by Evolve, the agency representing both players.
- Sabalenka calls the matchup a challenging showcase for women’s tennis and says she is ready to bring her best, while Kyrgios says he expects to win despite a limited 2025 season that left him ranked around 673.
- Debate continues over the spectacle’s purpose, with Billie Jean King stressing it lacks the social stakes of 1973 and figures such as Garbiñe Muguruza, Rennae Stubbs and Greg Rusedski criticizing the concept and format.