Legendary Billie Jean King Calls Out Nick Kyrgios-Aryna Sabalenka Battle of the Sexes: “Mine was for Social Change, This is Not”

Billie Jean King doesn't think the Battle of the Sexes between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios is the same as the one she played against Bobby Riggs.

Legendary Billie Jean King Calls Out Nick Kyrgios-Aryna Sabalenka Battle of the Sexes: “Mine was for Social Change, This is Not”

Aryna Sabalenka, Billie Jean King, Nick Kyrgios (Image via X/Aryna Sabalenka Archive, Billie Jean King, Olly Tennis)

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Like many, even Billie Jean King is not a fan of the latest edition of the Battle of the Sexes. On December 28, Aryna Sabalenka will lock horns with Nick Kyrgios, which for sure will provide harmless entertainment.

But the consequences of the match, critics believe, could portray WTA tennis in a negative light. Some also believe Sabalenka’s defeat would give the misogynists another chance to ridicule women. Both Kyrgios and Sabalenka are convinced that the match, no matter who wins, would help promote women’s tennis.

King, when asked by the BBC whether she found any similarity between the Kyrgios-Sabalenka match and her own clash in the second edition of the Battle of the Sexes in 1973 against Bobby Riggs, said her match was highly political. A then 29-year-old King had defeated a then 55-year-old Riggs in three sets.

The only similarity is that one is a boy and one is a girl. That’s it. Everything else, no. Ours was about social change, culturally, where we were in 1973. This one is not. I hope it’s a great match – I want Sabalenka, obviously, to win – but it’s just not the same.

Billie Jean King said

The Sabalenka versus Kyrgios will be the best-of-three sets, which includes a 10-point tie-breaker if it’s stretched to a decider. Sabalenka’s side of the court will be smaller (nine percent).

I played Bobby three out of five sets. I played on a court and didn’t change anything. I said, ‘Look, I play straight up, or else I’m not going to play. ‘ And Bobby loved it. Mine was really political. It was rough, culturally, what was coming in with it. I knew I had to beat him for societal change. I had a lot of reasons to win.

Billie Jean King added

Tournament organizers are Evolve, the sports agency founded by four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. The agency represents both Sabalenka and Kyrgios.

Billie Jean King on whether the Battle of the Sexes between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios would undermine women’s tennis

Nick Kyrgios was often accused of misogyny. He had assaulted his ex-girlfriend, called another ex-girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya “second serve” when she was dating Jannik Sinner, and made an infamous comment on Donna Vekic after a match against Stan Wawrinka.

Aryna Sabalenka (4)
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/Wimbledon)

This is why many from the tennis world believe Kyrgios represents nothing but misogyny in the event. They believe that if the Aussie beats Sabalenka, he will find another reason to mock women’s tennis. Billie Jean King, during that aforementioned interview with the BBC, was asked whether Kyrgios’ win would affect the perception around women’s tennis.

I don’t know. I’ll have to ask her after she plays, but we have never said we are better than men – ever. We have talked about our entertainment value – sometimes a woman’s match ends up being better than a guy’s match. I get upset when people say you think you are better. We have never said that, never.

On the women’s tour this season, Sabalenka featured in nine finals, winning four titles, including her second consecutive US Open trophy. Sabalenka also finished the season as the No.1 player for the second consecutive time.

Apart from the US Open, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion took home the Madrid Open and the Miami Open and also made the finals of the Australian Open and the French Open, losing both to Americans, Madison Keys and Coco Gauff, respectively.

The 27-year-old also reached her second WTA Finals title clash, but this time, Elena Rybakina denied her the win. Kyrgios, on the other hand, won only one match in the four singles tournaments he played after making his comeback.

Also read: Australian Open Director Not Confident Nick Kyrgios Will Get a Wild Card to the Tournament