More than half a century ago, Billie Jean King became a legend when she won a “battle of the sexes” against Bobby Riggs, a former Wimbledon champion who made misogynistic comments on television. Even today, 52 years later, it is a historic meeting that did not find the same event or at least this epic character in any of the following events Remakes. The “Battle” had another chapter in which the Australian played the main role this Sunday Nick Kyrgiosformer number 13 and currently 671st in the ATP world rankings, and the Belarusian Aryna SabalenkaNumber 1 in the WTA, in Dubai, in front of around 17,000 spectators.
Kyrgios, 30, a 2022 Wimbledon finalist but almost inactive for the past two seasons, defeated Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in a tournament that had a few regulatory licenses: It was played a modified dishas the Belarusian team was 9 percent smaller to compensate for the speed differences – in line with a previous study on the movements of men and women in tennis – and there were no second services.
Despite the defeat, Sabalenka expressed satisfaction because she understood that the exhibition served as training, because “against a man you play completely different tennis, everything happens much faster,” even though many of her colleagues on the circuit have male sparring partners.
“I felt great. I think I showed a great fight. He had problems, he got very tired. I think the level was very high, I made a lot of nice shots, I went to the net a lot, I played short balls. I had a lot of fun,” said Sabalenka, who made it clear that she wants a rematch. “The next time I play against him, I will know his tactics, his strengths and weaknesses, and it will undoubtedly be a better game. I love testing myself and I would like to play against him again,” emphasized the head of the women’s ranking.
On the other hand, Kyrgios praised Sabalenka for breaking his serve “a few times” and praised her as “a great fighter. I wouldn’t call myself a champion tonight. Seeing someone as great as Aryna here and me… it’s really a spectacle.”
“Of course I was nervous, I don’t think many people would have raised their hand to be in my place. It was a close game that everyone has been talking about for the last six months. It came down to a fall to Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the second round of the Miami Open.
If the goal was to create a show without dealing with the competition part, it was achieved. It was a typical exhibition game, far removed from the spice associated with the fight for gender equality that King promoted in that 1973 game at the Houston Astrodome. There was no tension, but laughter and jokes between both players; Kyrgios practiced some of his underhand serves and the Belarusian scored a few brilliant points in front of the crowd at the Dubai Arena, where the most expensive tickets sold for almost $800.
Handicapped by knee and wrist injuries that required surgery, Kyrgios appeared to play without moving excessively, apart from the fact that the half Sabalenka played in was slightly smaller in a strange attempt to level the playing field. The Australian was drenched in sweat as he secured victory on his third match point and both were smiling as they hugged at the net.
In any case, Kyrgios’ decision to play this match had already caused some controversy, as he had pleaded guilty several years ago to pushing an ex-girlfriend to the ground during an argument – avoiding a conviction for assault – and had previously made it clear that he opposed equal pay in tennis. But the Australian and Sabalenka share space at Evolve, the representation agency they are part of and which was responsible for organizing this game.
Compared to the duel in 1973, when the WTA was just taking its first steps, the situation today is completely different, as women’s tennis is firmly established and has managed to reach the prizes of the main tournaments. In this context, interest in the game was limited as Kyrgios clearly dominated and even allowed himself a few moments of fun. There was no shortage of criticism. The French Alize Cornetwith a history as number 11 on the tour, said on RMC Sport: “I think it’s really a great publicity stunt. It gives me the impression that it’s all advertising and the game itself is just in the background. These rules, especially the one about shortening the court for Sabalenka, seem really stupid to me. They don’t give a good picture of women’s tennis.”
“I want to ask Sabalenka: Why did she agree to reduce the size of the pitch when she has been world No. 1 for two years? She can play against Kyrgios on a normal pitch.
About The Author
