When murmurs began about Aryna Sabalenka facing Nick Kyrgios in an exhibition match billed as the new ‘Battle of the Sexes’, many wondered what it was setting out to achieve.
After Kyrgios’ 6-3 6-3 win in Dubai on Sunday, that question is still being pondered.
A particular point of discussion was what women’s world number one Sabalenka, 27, stood to gain by facing a man whose fortunes have plunged following a career-threatening wrist injury.
For 30-year-old Kyrgios, 671st in the men’s rankings, it represented an opportunity to stay relevant and use the court time to prepare for a potential comeback to the ATP Tour in 2026.
Ultimately the much-hyped match lacked the intensity and entertainment promised by the build-up.
The contest turned out as many expected – an off-season exhibition played at a pedestrian pace.
“I think it didn’t quite live up to what I thought it might be,” said former British number one Annabel Croft.
Following a year where she won four titles including the US Open, Sabalenka finished as the best women’s player in the world for the second season running.
Yet the four-time Grand Slam champion and her team felt a novelty match against a notable men’s player could help her profile soar higher.
Boosting her bank balance at the same time – even though she earned £11m last season – was another key attraction, cynics would say.
Critics also argued the match would encourage unnecessary and unfair comparisons between the women and men’s games.
Afterwards, Sabalenka once again rejected that view.
“I feel like we just brought more attention to our sport and I don’t see how it can be bad,” she said.
But Croft said the match – played on a modified court designed to help Sabalenka – didn’t show her best level.
“I didn’t feel like it showcased her enough, of what we know she is capable of,” Croft said.
“But she certainly didn’t embarrass herself in any way.”
The court was altered so Sabalenka’s receiving side was reduced by 9% in the dimensions, giving Kyrgios a smaller target to hit in an attempt to ensure a more level playing field.
Both players were only allowed one serve each and, with differing opinions about who that benefitted, it hampered Sabalenka more as she missed first serves in the decisive moments.
Sabalenka showed her talent with several excoriating winners, as well as flashes of the emotion she displays in competitive matches.
But the mischievous grin when she won points reminded everyone this was not a serious contest.
To further underline the point, Sabalenka called a timeout midway through the fifth game of the second set – in order to do the Macarena as the cheesy dance classic blasted out of the PA system.
“I felt great. I think I put up a great fight. He was struggling, he got really tired,” Sabalenka said afterwards.
“I think it was a great level, I made a lot of great shots, moved a lot to the net, drop shots. I really enjoyed the show.”
Critics questioned Kyrgios’ suitability as the male protagonist, given he admitted assaulting an ex-girlfriend in 2021 and has made a series of comments which have been considered misogynistic.
Throughout the build-up, it felt like the Australian had sensed the opportunity to use the event as a PR exercise to help rebuild his reputation.
Speaking to the BBC last month, he insisted he had “matured” as a person.
Kyrgios regularly sought to use his friendship with Sabalenka – which appears to have genuine warmth – as an indicator of his changed character.
Whether he maintains that persona will be watched with interest, as will his planned comeback next season, with an Australian Open wildcard still in the offing.
Kyrgios, who has played only six ATP singles matches in the past three seasons, played with an air of insouciance throughout. His movement was limited as he worked to shorten points where possible.
In the second set particularly, he was blowing heavily as patches of sweat covered his olive shirt. Yet it always felt the former world number 13 could find another gear if needed.
“Honestly, it was a really tough match, she is a hell of a player and such a great champion,” said Kyrgios.
“It is a great stepping stone forward for the sport of tennis.”
Later, he added: “She just proved she can go out and compete with someone who has beaten the greatest of all time. There’s nothing but positives that can be taken away from this.”
Sabalenka and Kyrgios’ attempts to justify the event came in the face of severe criticism, particularly from the tennis fraternity.
Despite the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ moniker, it had little in common with Billie Jean King’s seminal match against self-confessed chauvinist Bobby Riggs in 1973 – a time when women were denied equality in tennis and wider society.
Times have changed. Tennis has greater gender equality than any other major sport.
So this felt more akin to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul’s heavyweight bout against former world champion Anthony Joshua – an event designed to attract casual fans and blur the lines between serious sporting endeavor and frivolous entertainment.
Both players had hyped up the Dubai contest like a pair of boxers flogging a fight.
Sabalenka promised to “kick Nick’s ass” as she promoted the event on US chat shows, while Kyrgios insisted the razzmatazz of the occasion would bring new eyes to the sport.
Both players will, undoubtedly, profit handsomely – even though they have refused to say how much they will earn.
“It will be really interesting now if we see more matches like this,” said BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller.
“There are lots of different types of tennis events around the world, and exhibitions are in demand, particularly in cities that don’t host the major tournaments.”
However, it felt like the fun factor fell short of what might have been expected.
There was often a flat atmosphere in the Coca-Cola Arena, which has a 17,000 capacity but was reduced to a smaller sell-out crowd with the upper tier closed off.
Once the match started, any volume from the fans was weighted in favour of Sabalenka. As the scoreline moved into Kyrgios’s direction, the dial was turned down.
Kyrgios promised a string of celebrity names would add glamour, although the only superstars of note seemed to be Brazil footballing legends Ronaldo and Kaka, who entered midway through the first set to great fanfare.
As Kyrgios closed in on victory, the cameras picked out a young child snoozing in their mother’s arms.
That could prove to be the defining image of an event which continues to polarise opinion.
