Before her exhibition match against Nick Kyrgios this Sunday in Dubai, Aryna Sabalenka is already making headlines.
A new episode of the famous “Battle of the Sexes” is preparing this Sunday at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, with a duel between world number one Aryna Sabalenka and Australian Nick Kyrgios, former 13th in the world now 671st and author of only one victory in five matches last season. The poster, scheduled for 5 p.m., promises a spectacle, but is already causing strong reactions in the world of tennis.
The concept of this type of confrontation is not new. The first “battle of the sexes” dates back to 1973 with Margaret Court and Bobby Riggs, but it was Billie Jean King’s victory against Riggs a few months later (6-4, 6-3, 6-3) which made history and highlighted the players and their salary demands. Today, Sabalenka and Kyrgios play on a completely different register, as King herself recalled in an interview with the BBC : “It was a very political match (…) This is not the case” of this duel, which is intended above all “a time to have fun and put on a show”.
To balance the duel, the organizers have modified certain rules: each player will only be entitled to one service, and Sabalenka’s court surface is reduced by 9% compared to that of his opponent. “If we played on a whole court, with the usual rules, it would be really difficult to measure myself against guys”justifies Belarusian. The objective is clear: to put Kyrgios “in an uncomfortable position”she explains.
Alizé Cornet’s rant
These adjustments nevertheless attract criticism. Former world number 11 Alizé Cornet strongly attacked these measures on CMR : “Why did she (Sabalenka) accept these rules? For two years she has dominated the women’s circuit head and shoulders, she can still play on a normal court against Nick Kyrgios. (…) This diminishes and devalues Sabalenka’s abilities. » Same story with former Australian doubles specialist Rennae Stubbs, for whom the match is above all about promotion and money.
As for the protagonists, the atmosphere is lighter. Sabalenka remains focused on the sporting challenge and the spectacle aspect:
“Nick hasn’t played for a while so it’s a good start for him. As for me, I’m preparing to face a great server, the guy who can drive you crazy with his bloody attacks but also his flashes of genius. » For his part, Kyrgios promises to “putting on a show” while having fun: “I want more people to watch tennis. » It remains to be seen whether the Belarusian will really be able to compete and contradict the skeptics this Sunday.
