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Ahead of their Battle of the Sexes tennis match later this month, Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios both said that they do not believe trans athletes should compete against biological women.
The tennis stars are playing an exhibition match that will feature modifications in which Kyrgios will only get one serve, and he will be hitting toward a smaller side of the court.
The modifications make sense, given Sabalenka’s thoughts on women facing biological men in sports.
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Aryna Sabalenka reacts in the women’s singles final against Amanda Anisimova (USA) (not pictured) of the 2025 US Open tennis championships at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Mike Frey/Imagn Images)
“I have nothing against them, but I feel like they still have a huge advantage over women,” Sabalenka said to Piers Morgan on Tuesday. “I think it’s just not fair to women to basically face biological men. It’s not fair. The women work their whole life to reach her limit, and then she has to face a man, which is biologically much stronger. So for me, I don’t agree with this kind of stuff in sport.”
Kyrgios added that he felt “the exact same way.”
Sabalenka’s thoughts echo those of tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who, despite numerous criticisms of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, has maintained her stance that girls and women should not face biological males.
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.
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts 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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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.
“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 Sabalenka and Kyrgios played exhibition matches in New York earlier this week. Sabalenka faced Naomi Osaka, while Kyrgios went against Tommy Paul.
(Susan Mullane-Imagn Images)
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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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