Nick Kyrgios took the lead with a straight-sets victory over women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the latest ‘Battle of the Sexes’ exhibition match held in Dubai.
For the three-set contest, the size of Sabalenka’s court was reduced by 9%, and the revised rules limited both players to one serve per point instead of the usual two.
A 10-point tiebreak could have been played if necessary, but it took Kyrgios, who has played only five singles matches this year due to injury, around 70 minutes to beat Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3.
Sabalenka walked towards the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ on her way to the court
The made-for-TV encounter featured players laughing and joking, Kyrgios’ underarm serve and Sabalenka dancing during a timeout to entertain the crowd.
Sabalenka gained early support from the crowd in comparison to Kyrgios, who went on the “Eye of the Tiger” and negotiated a slightly smaller “equalizer” court to crush his opponent in the third game.
The next four games were a battle of serves, but Kyrgios held on for a 5-3 lead, breaking Sabalenka again on the way to closing out the first set.
Sabalenka threatened a comeback after winning three games in a row to take a 3-1 lead in the second set, using a 60-second timeout to dance to the Macarena before Kyrgios won the next five games and snatched victory from her third match point.
Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka embrace online at the end of an interesting match
The match at Coca-Cola Arena was sometimes compared to one of the most famous tennis contests in history, when Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome in 1973.
This exhibition followed Riggs’ defeat of Margaret Court earlier that year, and other contests dubbed the “Battle of the Sexes” included Jimmy Connors’ defeat of Martina Navratilova in 1992.
Kyrgios: It could have gone either way!
Kyrgios has fallen to world No. 673 and has not played on the ATP Tour since March due to injury, but the Australian admitted the scoreline for his return victory could have been closer.
Nick Kyrgios impressed with straight-sets win
“To be honest, it was a really tough match,” Kyrgios said. “She’s a great competitor and a great champion. Obviously, she’s a multiple Grand Slam champion.
“I really didn’t know what was going to happen. She broke my serve a lot. Honestly, I had to strap in because she was putting pressure on me. She was hitting some great shots.
“Honestly, I would love to play her again and show off her talent and what I have left in the tank. In the end, it was a really hard-fought battle. There were many breaks.
Sabalenka was cheering herself on before the match to take the lead in Dubai
“I wouldn’t call myself a champion tonight. I think it was a real spectacle to see myself here with a great player like Arena. I think this is a great step forward for the sport of tennis.”
“Obviously I was nervous. I don’t think many people would have raised their hands to be in this position, especially in my position. Arena was up for the challenge and the scoreline was closer than it was.”
Sabalenka turns positive after straight loss
Sabalenka won the US Open in August and has reached the semi-finals or higher in all four major tournaments in 2025, and the Belarusian is hoping to use the loss as a positive for the new season.
Former soccer player Ronaldo was among the celebrities watching from the packed crowd.
“I felt great. I thought I had a great fight, but he struggled. I thought he was at a great level. He made a lot of great shots, moved a lot toward the net, and made some great drop shots.”
“I really enjoyed the show and next time I play against him I already know the tactics. I know his strengths and weaknesses and it’s definitely going to be a better match.”
“I love to challenge myself and I want to play again. The court is different. I had to make some adjustments. Obviously, playing with men is completely different tennis and everything is much faster. Today was great fitness for me.”
By watching the 2026 ATP Tour and WTA Tour, live on Sky Sports, and streaming on the NOW and Sky Sports apps, Sky Sports customers will have access to over 50% more live sport this year at no extra cost. Click here for more information.
