“Utter Nonsense” – Tennis Fans Blast the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Match Between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios

When news broke of a modern “Battle of the Sexes” match, few knew what to make of it. The idea had echoes of the 1973 original, but the 2025 edition, featuring Nick Kyrgios and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, was designed less as a social experiment and more as a high-profile showcase for two of the sport’s biggest personalities.

That is exactly what the fans witnessed in Dubai on Sunday, as Kyrgios recorded a straight-sets win over women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, 6–3, 6–3, in a widely watched exhibition that blended competition with entertainment.

However, if the fans think this proves anything definitive about gender in sports, they might want to examine the rulebook they were using. The match got severe backlash even before the first ball was struck. Billie Jean King, the woman who was part of the 1973 Battle of Sexes match, didn’t buy into the idea this time around.

Tennis fans lambast the Battle of the Sexes match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios

Billie Jean King’s words did come true. The chaos showed up during the match, and the fans were quick to point it out.

Here are some of the reactions from fans:

Whoever the fuck came with this idea of battle of sexes between Kyrgios and Sabalenka should be jailed for life.

Utter nonsense!! pic.twitter.com/kTnEB1uYqI

— Ultimate Boss (@UltimateBoss20) December 28, 2025

Tennis battle of the sexes
Equal pay but men play 5 sets to woman's 3 in grand slams

The match between Kyrgios and Sabalenka
Her side of the court is significantly smaller, making it harder for him???

No.1 v No. 671

Unfair battle of the sexes more like pic.twitter.com/L93eiAXbaw

— Neilby70 (@Gooner_70ns) December 28, 2025

This #Battleofthesexes match does nothing for Women's tennis. Nick Kyrgios is barely trying, they've made her side of the court smaller for some dumb reason and they can't even broadcast it properly. Just an absolute farce all round

— Will Joy (@willjoy13) December 28, 2025

Sabalenka is my favorite player ever but this is an absolute joke. Smaller court. Kyrgios hitting it back like he’s playing against a child. Give me a fucking break 🙄 https://t.co/6Dv8Nfu2vb

— 🛸 (@bl3ss3dxx) December 28, 2025

What positives are there to take from watching an obviously unfit Kyrgios beating the world number 1 Sabalenka in straight sets? Not sure there's anything honestly.

— Scott Barclay (@BarclayCard18) December 28, 2025

This match is an insult to a sport I like. Kyrgios is playing without any power, like an amateur and is basically just walking around. Sabalenka agreeing to play under special rules with smaller court dimensions on her side is a farce.

— Philly (@PW879) December 28, 2025

Court is slow, bounce is weird, Kyrgios looks like he’s not putting any effort into his shots, Sabalenka already broken pic.twitter.com/P08RqBG0fK

— Emma (@emmylobz) December 28, 2025

Started to watch the "Battle of the Sexes" match out of curiosity, switched over after 2 games. Kyrgios wasn't even pretending to try, wasn't chasing anything down and wasn't even using 60% of his power. I know it is an exhibition but it's pretty flat as a spectacle.

— Adam (@AdamFlinter) December 28, 2025

Makes absolute 0 sense this battle of the sexes tennis match on bbc. Surely the disadvantage to kyrgios defeats the whole purpose of this argument? Just make it fair and play the same size court🤣🤣🤣

— James (@Jay_Ricketts) December 28, 2025

This was far from a routine exhibition. Aware that a conventional matchup between a powerful male server and a top female baseliner could produce a one‑sided result, the organizers introduced several adjustments to create a more balanced contest for both players.

Both players were restricted to a single serve per point, removing the traditional second‑serve allowance and penalizing any fault with an immediate loss of point. To balance the dynamics further, Sabalenka’s side of the court was reduced by about nine percent to enhance her coverage. What initially seemed like a lighthearted concession produced an unexpectedly tactical contest.

Despite the modified rules, Kyrgios, who has played limited tennis over the past three years due to recurring injuries, looked composed and sharp. He broke Sabalenka’s serve to move ahead 4–3 in the first set and maintained control from there. Currently ranked 671 in the world, the Australian showed that his trademark touch and precision remain intact.

Is Nick Kyrgios actually back?

While the exhibition was a fun distraction, the real story is what happens next. This was Nick Kyrgios dipping his toes back into the water before his actual comeback at the Brisbane International in January.

He hasn’t played on the ATP Tour in nearly 10 months. His fitness is a giant question mark. Playing a modified exhibition match is one thing; grinding through a best-of-three against a top-tier ATP pro who isn’t limited to one serve is an entirely different animal.

For now, Kyrgios gets the bragging rights and presumably a very nice paycheck. But as he heads to Brisbane with a wildcard in hand, the fans are about to find out if the Australian still has a career, or if he’s just destined for more exhibitions.

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