WTA Star Believes Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka’s Clash is “Perfect” for the Battle of the Sexes

Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios' Battle of the Sexes clash has been heavily criticized by several former players including Billie Jean King.

WTA Star Believes Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka’s Clash is “Perfect” for the Battle of the Sexes

Nick Kyrgios, Aryna Sabalenka (Image via/ ESPN)

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Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios’ Battle of the Sexes clash has become one of the major discussions since the 2025 season ended in November. The exhibition match has received both criticism and praise from current and former players. However, WTA star Eva Lys has revealed that the match-up represents modern tennis perfectly.

Sabalenka is currently the women’s World No.1 and a great ambassador of the WTA. She finished at the top of the women’s ranking for the second season after previously struggling to hold on to the position. She dominated the WTA in 2025, reaching nine finals on tour and winning four titles, including the US Open.

Nonetheless, her opponent, Kyrgios, has managed to play just five matches this season. He has not featured in a competitive event on tour since July. He last played a professional match at the Citi Open in the doubles category alongside French legend Gael Monfils. Also, he’s currently World No.672 in the ATP rankings.

Sabalenka and Kyrgios’ clash in Dubai on December 28 has been heavily criticized for not representing the modern state of the sport. Many have argued, including Billie Jean King, that the other Battle of the Sexes clashes centered on social change rather than entertainment. But both players have stressed that it will add to the development of the sport.

Some have also argued that Kyrgios is the wrong male player to compete against Sabalenka, because of his history of engaging in controversial issues. During an interview with Sport1, Lys acknowledged that the clash has become a controversial one, but noted that it’s a perfect clash for the fourth version of the Battle of the Sexes clash:

I have mixed feelings about it, but overall, I think Aryna Sabalenka is very good for women’s tennis. She pushes boundaries and has unusual moments in this sport. It is no secret that it is a great publicity stunt to attract more attention to tennis. With whom else could something like this be achieved? With Nick Kyrgios, of course. I think they are the perfect match. You have to take it with a grain of salt. Tennis is still taken too seriously. You see matches like this in all other sports that are not taken so seriously.

Kyrgios and Sabalenka recently took part in an exhibition at Madison Square Garden in New York. The former is yet to confirm whether he’s preparing to return to tour, as the Australian Open director Craig Tiley admitted that he’s not sure the former World No.13 will be given a wild card for the tournament.

Eva Lys admits she doesn’t feel disadvantaged on the court despite her height

Eva Lys had a remarkable 2025 season, enjoying notable runs at the Australian Open, where she reached the fourth round, and getting to her first WTA 1000 quarter-finals at the China Open in October. However, she’s one of the slim players in the women’s circuit, who are short. Her physical disadvantage has never stopped her from continuing to push for success on the court.

Eva Lys
Eva Lys (via Flashscore.de)

During the aforementioned interview, she was asked whether standing at 1.65 meters made her feel at a disadvantage on tour. The German star revealed that she doesn’t consider her height a disadvantage as she believes that it’s an advantage to her and her style of play:

I wouldn’t consider myself disadvantaged. Every height has its advantages and disadvantages. Of course, height is perfect for serving in this sport, and playing against someone like Rybakina is an incredible challenge. Coco Gauff also serves very well regularly, although she has her ups and downs sometimes. Anisimova also serves very well.

Lys finished the year with a 10-7 record in WTA 1000 tournaments. She enjoyed her best result in the WTA 1000 events at the China Open, where she defeated WTA Finals champion Elena Rybakina in the third round before crashing out in the quarter-finals

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