Nick Kyrgios Confirms Plans for ‘Battle of Sexes’ Match with Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka has reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, after a hard-fought win over Laura Siegemund.

Nick Kyrgios Confirms Plans for ‘Battle of Sexes’ Match with Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios (via Independent)

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Nick Kyrgios, the 30-year-old Australian, continues to stay in the spotlight despite limited on-court action. He has barely played in the past three years due to a serious wrist injury sustained in 2022. Still, he remains active in the media, regularly sharing his views on sports-related issues.

In a recent interview with talkSPORT, Kyrgios discussed an exciting idea. He is considering a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match against current women’s world number one, Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarusian is currently competing at Wimbledon and has reached the semifinals. Kyrgios said on talkSPORT:

We are thinking about doing it later in the year, where the court is going to be slightly smaller for me and one serve. [Continued] I’m really nervous for it because she’s in her absolute prime right now, but I still feel confident that I’d get her (laughs).

Kyrgios explained that both he and Sabalenka are exploring the idea of playing the exhibition match on a smaller court. The format would be slightly adjusted, allowing Kyrgios only one serve per point. This would level the playing field and add to the challenge.

Currently working as a pundit during Wimbledon, Kyrgios remains sidelined from professional competition. However, he is set to return in October at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) event in Asia. The event is part of an ongoing project led by coach Patrick Mouratoglou and businessman Alex Popyrin to bring a fresh approach to tennis.

Aryna Sabalenka makes history at Wimbledon

Aryna Sabalenka secured a hard-fought win over Laura Siegemund in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, joining tennis legends like Serena Williams and Chris Evert in achieving notable milestones. The world No. 1 came from behind to defeat Siegemund 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in a match that lasted nearly three hours. Siegemund had control of much of the first set and even served for it, but Sabalenka fought back strongly.

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/WTA)

With this victory, Sabalenka has now reached her third Wimbledon semi-final in her last three appearances at the tournament. She made it to this stage in both 2021 and 2023. She missed Wimbledon in 2022 due to a ban and had to withdraw in 2024 because of a shoulder injury. The Belarusian now aims to reach her first final at the All England Club and her fourth consecutive Grand Slam final overall.

Sabalenka’s recent results show her remarkable consistency at major tournaments. She has now reached at least the semi-finals in 10 of her last 11 Grand Slam main-draw appearances. Since 2000, only Serena Williams has matched that level of performance across Slams, underlining Sabalenka’s dominance in recent years.

Her win against Siegemund also marked her 12th victory in 13 Grand Slam quarter-final matches. Her only loss at that stage came against Mirra Andreeva at the French Open last year. In terms of quarter-final records, only Chris Evert had a better start with 13 wins in her first 13. Sabalenka now shares a 12-1 record with greats like Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, and Justine Henin.

Aryna Sabalenka reaches Wimbledon semifinals

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka battled past Laura Siegemund in a dramatic Wimbledon quarterfinal. She came from behind twice in the third set to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in a match lasting 2 hours and 54 minutes. It was the third-longest match of the tournament. The win sends Sabalenka into her 12th Grand Slam semifinal and her third at Wimbledon.

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka (via WTA Tennis)

With this victory, Sabalenka became the first player to officially qualify for the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh. She has now made at least the semifinals in 10 of her last 11 major appearances since the 2022 US Open. Her only slip during this run was a quarterfinal loss at Roland Garros 2024 to Mirra Andreeva. The Wimbledon semifinal is also her ninth of the season, the most by any player this year.

Sabalenka is aiming to reach her third Grand Slam final of 2025, having already finished runner-up at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros. To do that, she must get past No. 13 seed Amanda Anisimova, who beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach the final four. A win would bring Sabalenka one step closer to a Wimbledon title.

However, Anisimova holds a 5-3 lead in their head-to-head matchups. Sabalenka did win their only meeting this season in the fourth round of Roland Garros. If she advances, Sabalenka will become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the final of the year’s first three Grand Slam tournaments.

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