The fourth episode of the “Battle of the Sexes” will take place. The match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios has been confirmed for this end of the year.
The tennis version of the “Battle of the Sexes” will see its new opus on December 28. The meeting, scheduled in Dubai, was confirmed this Tuesday by the organization of the event as well as by the player who will be on the court at the end of the year to in turn compete against a player from the men’s circuit, namely Aryna Sabalenka.
This fourth episode of this duel pitting a woman against a man will pit the world number 1, currently in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) to try to register her name on the WTA Masters list for the first time, against the whimsical Australian Nick Kyrgios (30 years old), former world 13th, finalist at Wimbledon in 2022 and three times quarter-finalist in the Grand Slam but who has not played in competition since a defeat in the 2nd round of the Masters 1000 in Miami last March.
The two future adversaries also launched hostilities without delay on social networks. “I have a lot of respect for Nick and his talent, but make no mistake: I am ready to give my best. I am proud to represent women’s tennis”declared the Belarusian, victorious in the last two editions of the US Open.
Abunanaden, “when of nature”, to come.
“When the world number one challenges you, you respond. I have immense respect for Aryna, she is a force of nature and a true champion”replied the current 652nd in the ATP rankings, not the type to refuse a challenge or say no to a show. “I’ve never backed down from a challenge, and I’m not just here to play, I’m here to entertain. This is what I live for. »
The match between Sabalenka and Kyrgios will join on the list of “battles of the sexes” the historic clashes between Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court in 1973 then between the same Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King afterwards, still in 1973 in Houston, as well as the last one, which opposed Martina Navratilova to Jimmy Connors in 1992 in Las Vegas.
If Riggs had beaten Court (6-2, 6-1), nineteen years before Connors also dominated Navratilova in two sets (7-5, 6-2), Billie Jean King had taken the upper hand in three sets (6-4, 6-3, 6-3) – the match was played in the best of five sets – over Riggs during an anthology match which gave rise to a film, entitled “The Battle of the Sexes “. If Sabalenka also wins against Kyrgios, she will reset the counters to zero.
