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Nick Kyrgios beat Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win the 2025 version of the “Battle of the Sexes” in Dubai on Sunday, December 28, which sparked ridicule from fans on social media.
“Does Sabalenka realize how stupid this makes her? Battle of the sexes…girl, this is so embarrassing,” said a fan viaalongside a screenshot of the match.
Kyrgios won the first two sets of the best-of-three match, 6-3, 6-3.
Sunday’s “Battle of the Sexes” was a reference to the 1973 match of the same name between Billie Jean King And Bobby Riggs. King won this match, marking a historic moment in the advancement of women’s tennis.
Aryna Sabalenka narrowly missed out on the biggest payday in women’s tennis history, losing to Elena Rybakina in the WTA Final on Saturday, November 8. After the match, cameras captured the player in tears while microphones picked up her trash talking to her opponent. Sabalenka, 27, broke her racket and retreated to her chair after […]
The 2025 “Battle of the Sexes” didn’t quite carry the same weight, having more of an entertainment feel rather than a momentous, cultural and arguably political event.
Despite the defeat, Sabalenka hinted at the possibility of facing Kyrgios again.
“I really enjoyed the show,” Sabalenka said after the match. “And I feel like the next time I face him, I’ll know the tactics, his strengths and weaknesses, and it will be a better match, that’s for sure.”
Sabalenka’s play earned him some kind words from Kyrgios, who was visibly exhausted after the match.
Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios
Getty Images“She’s an amazing athlete, when she was moving from side to side she was making shots that some of the top men play,” he said on the court after the match. “I’m not surprised, I saw her play and we practiced a few times. She was there, it could have gone either way.”
Kyrgios is currently ranked 671st in men’s singles and has only played five matches in 2025 as he recovers from injury. He was a finalist at Wimbledon in 2022.
“I was nervous,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of people would have raised their hand to be in that position. The score was close, I was under pump. I was nervous, that’s all anyone talked about the last six months. I couldn’t even use my right hand a year ago, 18 months ago. I’m happy to be back here and playing, honestly, it’s pretty emotional.”
Sabalenka, meanwhile, is ranked No. 1 among women and is coming off a US Open championship.
“By putting myself in this situation, playing a guy, I inspire the next generation [of women] be great, challenge yourself, be strong,” Sabalenka said at a press conference earlier this week.
On social media, fans don’t seem very impressed by the competition.
US Open 2025 women’s singles winner Aryna Sabalenka paid tribute to her opponent, Amanda Anisimova, after beating her in the final. The global tennis star, 27, successfully defended the US Open championship she originally won last year at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York on Saturday (September 1). […]
“I’d like to know who decided this #battleofthesexes was a good idea,” said another user on. “Who really looks good in the end? The 659th player in men’s tennis has just beaten the women’s world number 1 quite comfortably despite the rules being in his favor. What a farce.”
“A capital L for those who say men and women are the same,” said one different account on. “Battle of the Sexes 2025. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. World No. 671 Nick Kyrgios (injured). They even gave him a smaller court. Kyrgios wins in straight sets.”
The match used modified rules, limiting each player to only one serve per point (instead of two). Sabalenka’s side of the court was also nine percent smaller than Kyrgios’.
“I like to challenge myself and it’s a huge challenge, especially playing against Nick, an unpredictable and crazy guy,” Sabalenka told reporters before the match. “It’s great training for me and a great message for the girls that I hope they see how strong and resilient I am playing against a guy.”
