The Battle of the Sexes match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios has sparked controversy, with Laura Robson and Tim Henman questioning whether it was necessary.
The match will take place on December 28th at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai and will pit the women’s world number one against a former Wimbledon finalist.
Sabalenka is the current US Open champion, while Kyrgios has not played an ATP Tour match since losing in the second round at the Miami Open in March and is currently ranked 652nd in the world due to injury problems.
Sabalenka said it would be a “cool idea” to potentially meet at the US Open, laughing and vowing to “kick Nick in the a**.”
Former British number one Laura Robson told Sky Sports Tennis: “I want to know what the appeal of the arena is. I don’t know if this is something that is missing from this game.”
Tim Henman added: “I love tennis and I love watching the major events, the biggest and best events, but I don’t know if I’m going to be in this match.”
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Highlights of the US Open final between Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova
This will be the fourth “Battle of the Sexes” match in history, the most iconic being the 1973 matchup between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
Sabalenka said: “I have great respect for Billie Jean King and what she accomplished for the women’s game. I am proud to represent women’s tennis and be part of this modern-day version of this iconic battle of the sexes.”
Kyrgios has previously said you don’t need to give 100 per cent effort to win a match, but added: “When the world No. 1 challenges you, you answer the call.
“I have a lot of respect for Alina. She’s a powerhouse and a true champion. But I’ve never backed down from a challenge. And I’m not just here to play, I’m here to entertain. This is why I live.”
Billie Jean King vs Bobby Riggs
Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King arm-wrestle at a press conference and announce they will face each other in a winner-take-all tennis match with a prize of $100,000.
The match between U.S. Open champion King and former professional Riggs on September 20, 1973 was one of the greatest matches in tennis history.
King was 29 and Riggs 55 at the time, but despite having retired from tennis for 14 years, Riggs was adamant that he could beat any woman.
In the end, King defeated Riggs in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, in front of more than 30,000 fans (estimated at 50 million in the United States and 90 million worldwide) at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas.
The match is now being described as a landmark moment in women’s sports.
Riggs’ “Battle of the Sexes” vs. King remains one of the most-watched tennis matches of all time
In the same year as the “Battle of the Sexes,” King founded the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), and the U.S. Open became the first tournament to offer equal prize money.
“I wanted to inspire young people to step forward and fight for equality, because every generation has to start over and every generation has to fight for equality,” King said.
Who else has played?
Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova faced off at the 1992 Battle of Champions.
The first “Battle of the Sexes” match also took place in 1973, when Riggs faced Australian Open and French Open champion Margaret Court.
Cote won $20,000 for playing in a televised game in May of that year. Riggs won the match in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, and the incident was later dubbed the “Mother’s Day Massacre.”
In 1992, 35-year-old Martina Navratilova faced off against 40-year-old Jimmy Connors in the Battle of Champions at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Connors, a five-time year-end No. 1, gave Navratilova a court as wide as a half-doubles array on each side, winning just one serve and winning 7-5, 6-2.
Each player was paid a $500,000 entry fee, the winner’s prize money was doubled, and the match was broadcast on pay-per-view rather than national television.
“I’m glad it’s over,” Navratilova said. “It was a very long preparation and it was more nerve-wracking than any game I’ve ever played. It was a game I’d never played before. It was a different kind of pressure with 14,000 people and a pay-per-view audience.”
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