Nick Kyrgios beat Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win the 2025 version of the “Battle of the Sexes” in Dubai on Sunday, December 28, leading to ridicule from fans on social media.
“Does Sabalenka even realize how stupid this makes her look? Battle of the Sexes… girl, so embarrassing,” said one fan via X, alongside a screenshot from the match.
Kyrgios won the first two sets of the best-of-three contest, 6-3, 6-3.
Sunday’s “Battle of the Sexes” referenced the 1973 match by the same name between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. King won that match, marking a historic moment in the advancement of women’s tennis.
The 2025 “Battle of the Sexes” didn’t quite hold the same weight, having more of an entertainment feel to it rather than a momentous, cultural and arguably political occasion.
Despite the loss, Sabalenka alluded to potentially facing off against Kyrgios again.
“Really enjoyed the show,” Sabalenka said after the match. “And I feel like next time I play him I’m going to know the tactics, his strengths and his weaknesses, and it’s going to be a better match, for sure.”
Sabalenka’s play earned her some kind words from Kyrgios, who was visibly exhausted after the match.
“She’s an amazing athlete, when she was moving side to side she was playing shots that some of the top men play,” he said on the court after the match. “I’m not surprised, I’ve seen her play and we have practiced a couple of times. She was right there, it could have gone either way.”
Kyrgios currently ranks No. 671 in men’s singles and has only played five matches in 2025 as he recovers from injury. He was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2022.
“I was nervous,” he said. “I don’t think many people would have put their hand up to be in this position. The score line was close, I was under the pump there. I was nervous, this is all the world was talking about for the last six months. I couldn’t even use my right hand a year, 18 months ago. I’m glad to even be back out here and play, honestly it’s pretty emotional.”
Sabalenka, on the other hand, is ranked No. 1 on the women’s side and is coming off a US Open championship.
“By putting myself in this situation, playing a guy, I’m inspiring the next generation [of women] to be great, to challenge yourself, to be strong,” Sabalenka said in a news conference earlier this week.
On social media, fans didn’t seem too impressed with the competition.
“I’d love to know who decided this #battleofthesexes was a good idea,” said another user on X. “Who actually looks good coming out of this? The 659th ranked player in male tennis just beat the Women’s world number 1 pretty comfortably in the end despite the rules being in her favour. What a farce.”
“A big L for the ‘men and women are the same’ crowd,” said a different account on X. “The Battle of the Sexes 2025. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka VS. World No. 671 Nick Kyrgios (injured). They even gave her a smaller court. Kyrgios wins in straight sets.”
The match used modified rules, restricting each player to just one serve per point (instead of two). Sabalenka’s side of the court was also nine percent smaller than Kyrgios’s.
“I love to challenge myself and this is a huge challenge, especially playing against Nick, a guy who is unpredictable and crazy,” Sabalenka told reporters before the match. “It’s great training for me and a great message to the girls out there — I hope they will see how strong and tough I am by playing against a guy.”
