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World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and 2022 Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios announced Tuesday that they will be playing in a “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match next month.
The two tennis stars will face off in a modified exhibition on Dec. 28 in Dubai in front of 17,000 fans at Coca-Cola Arena.
The name of the Sabalenka-Kyrgios exhibition was borrowed from the 1973 match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, which King won in straight sets in the Houston Astrodome.
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(Left) Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Polina Kudermetova of Russia in the second round of the women’s singles at the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, on Aug. 27, 2025. (Right) Nick Kyrgios of Australia plays during his match against James Duckworth of Australia and Aleksandar Vukic of Australia in the first round of the men’s doubles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on Jan. 16, 2025. (Mike Frey/Imagn Images;Mike Frey/Imagn Images)
The modifications are that Kyrgios will only get one serve, and that he would be hitting toward a smaller side of the court.
Since the end of the 2022 tennis season, Kyrgios has played in just five events, largely because of injuries — one in 2023 and four in 2025. He has since made a name for himself in the broadcast booth.
Nick Kyrgios returns the ball to Grigor Dimitrov during a match on Day 3 of the World Tennis League at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
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“I cannot wait to get back out on court,” Kyrgios said in an Instagram story. “Honestly, I’m feeling amazing. I never thought I would be back in this position, being able to travel the world, see my fans and play some amazing tennis.”
Due to his lack of play, Kyrgios, who was once ranked as high as No. 13, is currently ranked No. 652.
Both players will also take part in an exhibition in New York on Dec. 8, but not against each other: Sabalenka will play Naomi Osaka, and Kyrgios will face Tommy Paul.
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, returns a shot against Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, during the women’s finals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
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Sabalenka is a four-time Grand Slam champion, including each of the last two U.S. Opens. She also made the final in both this year’s Australian and French Opens.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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