Aryna Sabalenka Relishing Nick Kyrgios Battle of the Sexes Showdown: “I’m Going to Kick his A**”

Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka will face each other in the Battle of Sexes clash on December 28 in Dubai.

Aryna Sabalenka Relishing Nick Kyrgios Battle of the Sexes Showdown: “I’m Going to Kick his A**”

Aryna Sabalenka, Nick Kyrgios (Image via X/HQ pics, AllAboutHQ)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Aryna Sabalenka is not losing sleep over the possibility of losing to Nick Kyrgios at the Battle of the Sexes clash later this month. The World No.1 and the ATP star have been making headlines ahead of their tie in Dubai, as they continue to rack up more attention from the media and the tennis community.

Sabalenka, a four-time champion, will face Kyrgios, who is currently ranked World No.672 in the ATP rankings, having just played five matches this season. Kyrgios’ professional career has been in shambles lately as he struggles to find physical comfort due to chronic injuries that have been troubling him since 2022.

However, he’s still considered a dangerous opponent as he has shown on previous occasions that he has a unique flair and skill set on the court. But Sabalenka is the expected favorite of this encounter, having dominated the women’s circuit this year. She has one of the most powerful serves in the WTA, and she’s known for hitting the ball harder than anyone else.

However, the clash between Kyrgios and Sabalenka has drawn comparison to the iconic 1973 showdown in which Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs – a clash watched by an estimated 90 million viewers and will go down in cultural folklore with the aid of a Hollywood depiction. King’s victory over the self-proclaimed chauvinist Riggs rewrote the history of women’s sports.

Kyrgios and Sabalenka are likely to get more viewers than Jean King and Riggs got, but not the same value, as many people have criticized the effect of the clash in modern tennis. But that doesn’t bother Sabalenka, who’s hell-bent on teaching Kyrgios a lesson on the court. She revealed during her appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon that she’s going to beat the former ATP No.13:

I like to challenge myself, and playing against a male athlete — against Nick — it’s a big challenge and I like it. The visibility it got already is incredible. We’re kind of bringing tennis to the next level… It’s going to be a great high-level match for sure. I’m going to kick his a**. That’s a hundred percent. You don’t understand how stressed he is. For him, it’s a lose-lose. For me, it’s a win-win.

Sabalenka is fresh off a high-energy exhibition match at Madison Square Garden, where she competed alongside Tommy Paul, Naomi Osaka, and Kyrgios. She will be aiming to reach her best level ahead of her clash against Kyrgios, as it will not be the usual exhibition matches she has featured in throughout her career.

Nick Kyrgios doesn’t agree with the critics bringing up his misogynistic past views

Several critics have questioned Nick Kyrgios’ suitability as the male protagonist, given that he admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend in 2021. He also made a series of comments on social media, which have been considered misogynistic. Last year, he shared a post from controversial influencer Andrew Tate before distancing himself from it.

Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios (via X/The Tennis Letter)

During an interview with BBC Sport, he was asked if he was the right male player to play against Aryna Sabalenka at the Battle of the Sexes clash in Dubai. The ATP star admitted that he knows he has not been an amazing role model off the court, but hopes the match will bring something unique to the sport:

I’m not going to sit here and say I’m an amazing role model, but I’ve grown and I’m definitely more mature now. This is the only thing I’m good at – hitting a ball over a net and giving people a show. So I can’t do anything other than hope me and Aryna play our best tennis and, at the end of the day, whoever wins, that our handshake afterwards solidifies the union between males and females in the tennis world.

Kyrgios has also made controversial statements against Jannik Sinner since he tested positive for clostebol. The World No. 672 has often claimed that Sinner’s three-month suspension for the offense was unfair, as several players have been given worse punishments in the past.

Also Read: Aryna Sabalenka Predicts her Matchup With Serena Williams Amid Rumors of a Comeback