Nick Kyrgios Shares His Expectations for the Battle of the Sexes Clash Against Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios' meeting will be the fourth version of the Battle of the Sexes event in the history of tennis.

Nick Kyrgios Shares His Expectations for the Battle of the Sexes Clash Against Aryna Sabalenka

Nick Kyrgios, Aryna Sabalenka (Image via/ ESPN)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka are gearing up for the Battle of the Sexes clash, which will take place on December 28 in Dubai. Kyrgios has recently hinted that if he loses the match, he might even hang up his racket.

In the 2025 season, Sabalenka delivered notable performances, particularly in Grand Slam tournaments. She won four titles including the US Open, where she defeated Amanda Anisimova in straight sets in the final. She made her last tour appearance at the WTA Finals, where she lost the championship match to Elena Rybakina.

On the other hand, that cannot be said for Kyrgios, who has been absent for the majority of the 2025 season. In fact, he competed in just one Grand Slam tournament, which was the Australian Open. He last competed at the Citi Open in the men’s doubles, partnering with French star Gael Monfils.

Kyrgios will be aiming to continue on the legacy of Jimmy Connors, who won the last version of the Battle of the Sexes clash against Martina Navratilova. But it might be difficult for the former World No.13, who is under pressure, to be at his best on that day.

Nonetheless, Kyrgios is optimistic that he can beat the women’s World No.1 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. During an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the former Wimbledon finalist admitted that he knows that Sabalenka is currently in her best form at the moment, but he will head into their clash with confidence:

I’ve had some pretty tough times in my career. I know Aryna, and I understand that she’s truly confident in her abilities, whether she’s playing against me, Coco Gauff, or anyone else. I understand perfectly well that she’s a dangerous tennis player. I’ll go out there and give it my all. I’ll be very careful about her strengths. Of course, I’ve had some tough losses, but as you said, if I lose, it could be the one that makes me hang up my racket for good.

The Battle of the Sexes event will be played with modified rules, offering the fans entertainment and fun with their sports icons. Both players will serve one serve (no second serve), and the court side on which Sabalenka will play will be 9% smaller than the normal size, making it a bit easier for the Belarusian star against Kyrgios.

Aryna Sabalenka names the greatest male and female players to ever grace the court

Aryna Sabalenka enjoyed another very strong season on the WTA Tour in 2025. She finished the season top of the WTA rankings and reached three Grand Slam finals, winning one in the process. She has now won four Grand Slams in her career, all coming on hard courts in the past three seasons.

Aryna Sabalenka (3)
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/f)

During the aforementioned interview, Sabalenka was asked who she considers the greatest ever player. The World No.1 noted that Novak Djokovic is clearly the greatest player having won 24 Grand Slams in his career:

For sure. The numbers show that.

She was then asked about the greatest ever female player. The Belarusian star revealed that it is Serena Williams:

If we are talking numbers for sure Serena [Williams], but my favourite is Steffi Graf, [Martina] Navratilova.

Williams claimed 23 Grand Slams before retiring at the 2022 US Open. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) recently confirmed that the former World No. 1 is back on the list of registered players for the drug testing pool. The 44-year-old is yet to reveal whether she’s planning to get back on the court.

Also read: Carlos Alcaraz Gives His Take on Joao Fonseca’s Bold Haircut After Defeating Him in Miami