Mar 12, 2025; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Aryna Sabalenka (BEL) smiles during her on court interview after defeating Sonay Kartal (not pictured) in round four of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Well Tennis Garden.

tennis

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka Set to Face Nick Kyrgios in Blockbuster ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in December

Fourth officially recorded ‘Battle of the Sexes’ encounter.

Reigning US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka is confirmed for a gigantic face-off of epic proportions against former Top-20 star Nick Kyrgios in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in December 2025. Although the match has been received with mixed reactions so far, it is set to bring about plenty of enthusiasm and freshness. The exhibition will be played on December 28 at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena.

Women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will play men’s world No. 652 Nick Kyrgios in a tennis match labeled as the fourth “Battle of the Sexes” in the sport’s history 🎾

The match is being organized by Evolve, the agency that represents both athletes and will take place December 28… pic.twitter.com/s2fn2h0Z4S
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 4, 2025

Kyrgios has not played a competitive match since losing in Round-2 of the Miami Open in March. The former Wimbledon runner-up is currently ranked No. 652 in the world – owing to his struggles with multiple injuries. On the other hand, Sabalenka is enjoying another phenomenal season as the best player on the women’s circuit. The 27-year-old has won four trophies across the campaign, and reached three Grand Slam finals.

The likes of Tim Henman and Laura Robson have criticized the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ idea, questioning whether the tour needs something like this at present. It is set to be the fourth such encounter in the history of the game – with Billie Jean King’s victory over Bobby Riggs being the most famous duel thus far. Can Sabalenka make a statement by defeating the Australian sensation?

Aryna Sabalenka vs Nick Kyrgios – What Are They Saying Ahead of ‘Battle of the Sexes’

World number one Aryna Sabalenka will face Nick Kyrgios in a 'Battle of the Sexes' exhibition match in the United Arab Emirates later this year. pic.twitter.com/WQVDq9ji8z
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 4, 2025

Earlier, there was an announcement that Kyrgios would get only one serve and hit to a smaller court in order to make the match-up more evenly contested. The Aussie had previously insisted to Alexander Bublik that he does not need to give his 100% to beat the Belarusian powerhouse. “I think she’s the type of player who genuinely thinks she’s going to win,” said the 30-year-old.

Sabalenka is a four-time Grand Slam champion, and the certified headliner of the WTA Tour. Yet, Kyrgios was certain that success would be his. “She’s not going to beat me. Do you really think I have to try 100%? I’m going to try, because I’m representing the men’s side. I’d say [I would win] like 6-2 maybe.”

Battle of the Sexes is officially back.

Women's world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will play men's world No. 652 Nick Kyrgios in Dubai on December 28th.

Kyrgios says that he will try but that "women can't return our serves," and that he would win 6-2. pic.twitter.com/FkX3CtIhHN
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) November 4, 2025

Meanwhile, Sabalenka is looking forward to the match as well. “It’s going to be spectacular to watch, especially against someone like Nick. Like he said in another interview, I genuinely think I’m going to win. And I’ll definitely go out there and try my best to kick his a**. It’s going to be a good thing if I beat him.”

Who do you think will win the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka? Drop in your early predictions.

(Image Credits: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)

Aryna Sabalenka

ATP

Battle of the Sexes

Billie Jean King

Bobby Riggs

Nick Kyrgios

Tennis

WTA

Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.