By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, November 4, 2025Photo credit score: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Aryna Sabalenka received’t be messing with mistletoe this vacation season.
The world No. 1 has one post-Christmas want: face Nick Kyrgios and beat his bottom.
The Battle of the Sexes conflict between two-time US Open champion Sabalenka and former Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios is about for December twenty eighth on the Coca Cola Enviornment in Dubai.
Each gamers shared the information of the showdown on their Instagram pages as we speak.
Requested concerning the Battle of the Sexes Showdown on the US Open in September, Sabalenka shared her easy aim.
“It’s going to be enjoyable, particularly towards somebody like Nick,” Sabalenka stated. “Like he stated in one other interview, that I genuinely assume that I’m going to win, and I’ll undoubtedly go on the market, and I’ll trymy greatest to kick his ass.”
Kyrgios stated he needs to see tennis set up extra rivalry and “extra quackery” and believes this showdown can appeal to much more curiosity to the game.
“Tennis wants extra rivalries. Tennis wants extra quackery, just like the NBA within the 90s,” Kyrgios stated. “You’ll be able to’t please everybody.
“I’m not mates with many gamers and I’m not fascinated with being one.”
Billie Jean King famously defeated Bobby Riggs in probably the most widely-viewed Battle of the Sexes showdown in historical past on the Houston Astrodome in 1973. That King conquest got here months after Riggs defeated Margaret Court docket outside in a Battle of the Sexes.
Howard Cosell and Corridor of Famers Rosie Casals and Gene Scott offered commentary for the Kings-Riggs showdown with Scott, who had performed King in one of many first-ever Battle of the Sexes charity exhibitions, famously predicting Riggs “has to dominate.”
In 1992, Jimmy Connors out-dueled Martina Navratilova in a Battle of the Sexes matches of legendary lefties staged in Las Vegas.
Connors later revealed he wager on himself to win that match and delivered victory.
John McEnroe shared the story of how Donald Trump, earlier than he turned U.S. President, tried to arrange a $1 Million Battle of the Sexes matches pitting the mercurial McEnroe vs. Serena Williams. McEnroe lengthy maintained he would have swept Serena had that match ever come off.
Although that match was by no means staged, McEnroe did face Venus Williams in a Wimbledon Blended Doubles match.
Steffi Graf and McEnroe defeated Venus Williams and Justin Gimelstob in that showdown with McEnroe remarking in his memoir when he noticed Williams standing so near return his serve he thought “Present the outdated man some respect.”
