Nick Kyrgios defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in an exhibition match promoted under the Battle of the Sexes banner.
The match is not part of the ATP or WTA tours and carries no ranking points. It was staged purely as a show event, designed to attract attention and discussion.
The concept itself is not new. It draws from the famous 1973 Battle of the Sexes match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, which had a clear message about gender equality in sport. This modern version, however, was framed more as entertainment than a statement.
To reduce the physical gap between the players, the match used adjusted rules, including a single serve per point and changes to court dimensions.
Even with those tweaks, Kyrgios’ serve and strength gave him the advantage, and helped him win the match in straight sets.
Some fans questioned the point of the event and whether it put Sabalenka and women’s tennis in general in an unfair spotlight.
One post read:
 “Aryna Sabalenka utterly embarrassing the entirety of women’s tennis in pursuit of fuelling her own ego…”
Another said:
 “Congratulations to Aryna Sabalenka for embarrassing women’s tennis ”
Others went even further, suggesting the match sent the wrong message entirely.
“And a big thank you to aryna sabalenka for setting women’s tennis back 52 years! hope it was worth the cash and the publicity”
At the same time, many pushed back against those takes, pointing out that this was a paid exhibition, not a competitive match, and that Sabalenka remains one of the best players on the WTA Tour.
