Overview
- Event is confirmed for December 28 at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena with live UK coverage on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
- Format changes include one serve per player, a court nine percent smaller on Sabalenka’s side, and best-of-three with a 10-point match tiebreak.
- Billie Jean King says the matchup should not be compared to her 1973 ‘Battle of the Sexes,’ calling that contest a moment of social change.
- Kyrgios tells critics the negativity only boosts interest and urges fans to “sit back and enjoy the show,” while Sabalenka says it will spotlight women’s tennis.
- Evolve, which represents both players, is staging the exhibition as some former pros such as Rennae Stubbs and Steve Johnson criticize it as a gimmick, and Ben Shelton notes the rule tweaks could test Kyrgios.