‘She’s not going to beat me’: Kyrgios and Sabalenka to play in Battle of the Sexes

Nick Kyrgios does not believe he will need to “try 100 per cent” to beat world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in a new “Battle of the Sexes” match to be played in Hong Kong in the lead-up to the Australian Open.

Kyrgios, who has not played any tennis since the Miami Open in March this year, has reportedly arranged a match against Sabalenka that will see the two go head-to-head in a showdown reminiscent of the famous contest between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973.

The 30-year-old Australian revealed the plans in a YouTube interview with fellow ATP Tour player Alexander Bublik, where he declared Sabalaneka, a three-time grand slam singles champion was “not going to beat me”.

“Obviously, we’re the same agency me and Sabalenka. She’s awesome, by the way. Getting to know her, she’s definitely a character, but I’m super excited for that,” Kyrgios said.

“She’s the type of player that she genuinely thinks she’s going to win... She’s not going to beat me.”

When Bublik suggested the match could be more of an exhibition, where neither player tries too hard, Kyrgios replied: “Do you really think I have to try 100 per cent? [I will] definitely [try] because I’m representing I guess you, the men’s side. I would say, like, 6-2.”

When Kyrgios was pressed on why he was so confident he would win, and where he felt his strengths would lie against Sabalenka, he said it was “Our serves… women can’t return, and then we can just chip and drop shot.”

It was a more assured response from Kyrgios than when he had previously discussed the proposed match against Sabalenka on talkSport in July, when he admitted to being “nervous” because his opponent is “in her absolute prime”. Even on that occasion, though, he backed himself to win.

The match, which will reportedly take place in January, is set to be played under modified rules whereby each player will have one serve instead of the usual two, and on a smaller court – the dimensions of which are still being worked out.

Sabalenka has been a dominant force in women’s tennis for the past year, despite not winning a major so far in 2025, and will face American Jessica Pegula in the US Open semi-finals on Friday.

Kyrgios has not stepped onto the singles court since March and has played just one doubles match since the Australian Open in January.

King won the original Battle of the Sexes 6-4, 6-6, 6-3 against Riggs at the Houston Astrodome in 1973 after Riggs defeated Australian Margaret Court in a similar match earlier that year.

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