Modified court and one serve each – Sabalenka v Kyrgios polarises opinion

More than 50 years ago, Billie Jean King faced Bobby Riggs in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match, attracting a worldwide television audience of 90 million and going down in cultural folklore with the aid of a Hollywood depiction.

Now, another iteration of their era-defining clash has been announced – featuring two of the most recognisable faces among the modern crop in Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios.

Sabalenka, the women’s world number one, is set to face Kyrgios, a controversial figure now ranked 652nd after being beset by injuries, in Dubai on 28 December.

If any woman is going to beat Kyrgios then the leading player in the world is best placed to do it.

Sabalenka, 27, has been the dominant player on the WTA Tour for the past 18 months, underlining her talent by winning the fourth Grand Slam title of her career at the US Open in September.

Kyrgios, 30, has played only five matches in 2025 as he tries to rebuild his career after a wrist problem threatened to end it.

The exhibition will be the best of three sets, with a 10 point tie-breaker if it goes to a decider.

BBC Sport has learned the court will be modified to level the playing field between the pair.

According to Evolve, data shows women players move about 9% slower on average than men. Therefore, the dimensions of Sabalenka’s side of the court will be 9% smaller.

Each player will only receive one serve – aimed to restrict Kyrgios’ power and speed advantage.

Kyrgios, who served at 143mph at Wimbledon in 2019, is the eighth leading ATP player in terms of aces per match over the course of his career.

However, he has landed 71% of his first serves this year. Sabalenka has made 62%.

Sabalenka has been one of the most effective servers on the WTA Tour this season, sitting in the top five for service games won, and also possesses powerful groundstrokes.

The Belarusian has the ability to hit through her opponents – although is still prone to being erratic from the baseline through double faults and wild returning.

Over the past season, where she has won 59 of her 71 matches and claimed four titles, Sabalenka has also looked to introduce more variety into her game with drop-shots and coming forward to the net.

Going toe-to-toe with Kyrgios from the baseline is unlikely to be productive, so trying to make him move around the court – particularly given his fitness worries – would look to be the smart play.

Tennis fans have been divided into two camps since rumblings of this exhibition began at the US Open in September.

Some think it is a bit of harmless entertainment which will successfully attract the eyeballs of a newer, younger audience in the age of social-media content.

Others believe it is a misguided venture and sets up an opportunity for women’s tennis to be belittled if Sabalenka loses.

King’s victory over former Wimbledon champion Riggs – a self-proclaimed chauvinist aged 55 – was a landmark in the fight for gender equality and laid the path for equal pay at the top of the game.

The latest recreation of this concept, which was confirmed on Tuesday, is the brainchild of the Evolve agency which represents both Sabalenka and Kyrgios.

“This is about respect, rivalry and re-imaging what equality in sport can look like,” Evolve co-founder Stuart Duguid, who set up the firm with four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, told BBC Sport.

Organisers are hoping to attract a sell-out 17,000 crowd at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, while plans to stream the action worldwide are said to be advanced and could be confirmed next week.

The match has not been sanctioned by either of the professional tours – the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) – meaning there are no ranking points available.

It is not known if the winner will receive a cash prize, or whether the pair are being given appearance fees or earning a share of the revenue.

“The battle is for pride, curated by progressive innovation,” Duguid added.

While the financial reward and boost to her profile is likely to be significant, many wonder what Sabalenka stands to gain from an on-court perspective – especially if she loses to a man who has not been fit for a long time.

Kyrgios has long been a polarising figure in the sport, given his chequered history on and off the court.

The Australian has received multiple sanctions over the course of his career for inappropriate behaviour and fiery outbursts.

There have also been allegations of domestic violence and accusations of sexist comments.

Kyrgios pleaded guilty to assaulting an ex-girlfriend in 2023, then had to distance himself from controversial influencer Andrew Tate in 2024.

His recent comments about playing Sabalenka – witheringly questioning on one podcast if he would even have to “try 100%” to win – has led to concerns the event will fuel misogyny.

In a press release announcing the event, Kyrgios’ tone was markedly differently.

“When the world number one challenges you, you answer the call. I’ve got massive respect for Aryna; she’s a powerhouse and a true champion,” he said.

Sabalenka does not seem to think the match will have any negative impact on the perception of women’s sports, simply saying at the US Open she thinks it is a “cool idea”.

Catherine Whitaker, co-host of the Tennis Podcast, believes the opposite.

“I see absolutely nothing to be gained for women’s tennis – I see only bleakness,” she told BBC Sport.

“It’s a crass commercial venture and a vehicle for one of the most outspoken misogynists in tennis who just wants attention.

“If Sabalenka wins, she beats a man who is unfit and has been a total irrelevance for a number of years. What does she win? Nothing. Unless she wins 6-0 6-0, people will only find ammunition to fire at women’s tennis.

“If Kyrgios wins, he and others of the same mind will claim it legitimises everything he’s already spewing out. It’s disgusting to be giving him a platform.