Aryna Sabalenka will take part in the “battle of the sexes”. A tennis player will play against a man

The “Battle of the Sexes”, as the event is called, will be another show that is expected to further arouse interest in tennis around the world. In the face of today’s virtually unlimited possibilities for spending free time, such a “sports curiosity” may turn out to be an interesting idea that attracts fans.

“Battle of the Sexes” in Dubai. Aryna Sabalenka will play with Nick Kyrgios

Interestingly, the participant of this event was themselves very interested in a direct clash, which they mentioned publicly many times. The very fact of competition between tennis players and tennis players is not something new, considering the history of this discipline.

Most often we talk about show performances, but it is worth recalling an event from 1973. Then the legendary Billie Jean King, then 29 years old, faced the six-time Grand Slam tournament winner, 55-year-old Bobby Riggs. The match took place at the Houston Astrodome in Texas and was broadcast on American television. According to various estimates, the broadcast of the meeting could have been watched by up to approximately 90 million viewers. There were 30,472 fans in the stands of the facility, curious about the results of this competition.

Riggs, who initiated the event, challenged King to a duel, suggesting that women’s tennis was not equal to men’s and that she was able to beat any tennis player regardless of her age. Ultimately, however, as reality showed, the athlete taught the athlete who was spouting brash theories a lesson. It ended with a three-set triumph for King 6:4, 6:3, 6:3 – who won a prize of $100,000. Most importantly, the tennis player was an ambassador of women’s rights on the court, including equal pay in professional tournaments.

What to expect from the clash between Sabalenka and Kyrgios? Certainly a completely different temperature compared to the mentioned duel between Riggs and King. The Australian, famous for his controversial style on the court and his opinions, provoked Sabalenka, suggesting that he was able to beat her – even with “wooden legs”. Kyrgios is a 2022 Wimbledon finalist, his highest ranking was 13th in the ATP rankings. In the last dozen or so months, however, he was mainly a guest on the court, making single, not very successful performances. Every now and then it was interrupted by new injuries.

Sabalenka, quite the opposite, has been consistently leading the WTA ranking for two years, competing mainly with Iga Świątek for the title of the best in the world.