On Sunday, December 29, 2025, Nick Kyrgios defeated world no. 1 women’s singles player Aryna Sabalenka in the Battle of the Sexes exhibition match by sets of 6-3, 6-3 held at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. The match was a tough and exciting contest between the two players. It was a similar take on Billie Jean King and former Grand Slam champion Bobby Riggs’ clash back in 1973.
The match was played in effect to the modified rules, including the one-serve-per-point. Both players lost their momentum in the opening set while delivering at key points of the match. But Kyrgios managed to secure a 4-3 lead against the Belarusian.
Entering the second set, the Australian player seemed out of breath and sweating and lost control to Sabalenka, who took the lead at 3-1 before the strategic timeout. But Kyrgios managed to come back and went on to tie the score at 3-3 through a shot long from Sabalenka. Through drop shots and the use of variations, Kyrgios went on to seal the victory on serve over Sabalenka by 6-3.
Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs, the Battle of the Sexes
The Battle of the Sexes is just a game, but a controversy between two tennis Legends, Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, that dates back to 1973, holding its deep relevance and meaning even today. Riggs, the No. 1 ranked men’s tennis player of his time, challenged the former women’s great, Billie, for a match.
The match was given the title Battle of the Sexes by the promoters, and it was a primetime telecast on television. An estimated number of over 50 million people in the United States and 90 million people worldwide watched the match held on September 20, 1973, held in the Houston Astrodome. The Battle is one of the highest-viewing sporting events of all time. No other tennis match has had many views to date.
However, the battle saw Riggs get defeated by Billie in straight sets by 6–4, 6–3, 6–3. It was Billie who ended up winning the prize pool worth $100,000.
Sharing her excitement, Billie expressed what it meant to win against a player like Riggs and the importance the victory held for the women’s tennis players.
Billie shared, “I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win that match. It would ruin the women’s (tennis) tour and affect all women’s self-esteem. To beat a 55-year-old guy was no thrill for me. The thrill was exposing a lot of new people to tennis.”
