Gigi Salmon discusses the controversial ‘Battle of the Sexes’ conflict between girls’s world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios in her newest Sky Sports activities column.
A New Yr however nonetheless the identical topic up for dialogue on the planet of tennis, the current ‘Battle of the Sexes’ between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios that happened in Dubai in December, which Kyrgios won in straight sets 6-3 6-3.
‘What did you consider it, ‘was it damaging for ladies’s tennis,’ ‘will we see the likes of it once more.’ Briefly, my reply to these three questions which have come up lots – pointless!
I assumed it was executed and up to now however this week with the kids again at college, seeing folks I have never seen since earlier than Christmas and understanding my line of labor, I’ve had a good few, ‘Pleased New Yr and what did you consider the Battle of the Sexes,’ multi functional breath!
After I first heard about it, which was through the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November, my first thought was ‘why is Sabalenka – the world No 1 doing it?’ I could not see an upside for her and now it is executed – I nonetheless cannot!
She has cash, fame, recognition and because the greatest participant on the planet on the ladies’s tour certainly you do not have something to show.
Kyrgios desires to remain related
For Kyrgios it was simpler to see why he would agree, out of the highlight and with simply 5 matches to his identify in 2025, with just one aggressive match win because the finish of 2022, largely as a result of harm and sitting at 671 on the planet it was an opportunity to remain related.
There was additionally the quick approaching new season kicking off in his residence nation of Australia, with wild playing cards on supply, so out of the blue showing on late night time discuss exhibits in America and persons are speaking about him once more!
By the beginning of December folks have been getting very excited in regards to the assembly, the promotional circus was in full swing with the gamers showing on Jimmy Fallon and Piers Morgan, which in itself is unparalleled to advertise what was primarily an exhibition.
This at a time when exhibitions have been going down all around the world with a lot larger names concerned than Kyrgios however all anyone wished to speak about was their Dubai assembly, enticingly titled and wrongly so in my view, ‘Battle of the Sexes’.
When Billie Jean King was requested if she noticed any similarities between the upcoming money and her unique match of the identical identify in 1973, that stood for amongst different issues social change she replied, ‘the one similarity is that one is a boy and one is a lady, that is it’.
If it hadn’t been given such an evocative title, how a lot publicity would it not have acquired?
Sure it was the world No 1 towards a former Wimbledon finalist and an simple expertise in years passed by, however was it larger than world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz taking to the courtroom towards Wimbledon and US Open finalist and world No 4 Amanda Anisimova in Miami at first of December.
How about Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, Tommy Paul and Kyrgios enjoying at Madison Sq. Gardens in December, each of which barely made a ripple outdoors of the tennis world, as a result of they have been billed merely as exhibitions, not man vs girls or WTA vs ATP.
Sabalenka started her 2026 singles season with a dominant 6-0 6-1 win over Cristina Bucsa in Brisbane
I ought to say at this level that each Sabalenka and Kyrgios are represented by the identical administration company ‘Evolve’ and this specific occasion and the identify to go together with it was the brainchild of their joint supervisor Stuart Duguid.
Lose, lose for Sabalenka; Win, win for Kyrgios
The explanation I referred to as it pointless when requested for my ideas on it, was I noticed it as solely lose, lose for Sabalenka, win the match and congratulations you have crushed the world No 671, who has hardly performed in current instances, lose and ‘oh pricey the ladies’s world No 1 has simply misplaced to the world No 671, who solely performed 5 matches with one win all yr’.
For Kyrgios it is win, win – lose and he says he wasn’t meant to win he has hardly performed, win which he did and take a look at me I’ve hardly performed but I’ve crushed the very best girls’s participant on the planet.
Whereas within the short-term girls’s tennis took a success, with all these ‘new’ followers they wished to convey into tennis questioning how does somebody who has hardly performed all yr beat and beat convincingly the very best participant in girls’s tennis and what does that say in regards to the girls’s sport?
I feel folks will transfer on and be completely happy to take action. Girls’s tennis rightly led by Sabalenka is in an incredible place proper now, so whereas folks could query her motives, I do not consider that any main hurt has been executed.
‘Tennis wants Nick Kyrgios’
Kyrgios by chance hits a ball child when putting a forehand throughout a doubles return with Thanasi Kokkinakis in Brisbane
Why I hope we can’t see one other incarnation of ‘Battle of the Sexes’ anytime quickly, is as a result of we do not want one, we did not want that one and hopefully those that watched it, considered it as what it was and loved it for what it was, leisure, not correct tennis, no that means connected to it, simply enjoyable!
I’ll go away you with one thing a colleague of mine mentioned to me this week once we have been discussing ‘Battle of the Sexes,’ and I might like to know your ideas…
I mentioned that I could not see one other match underneath this specific heading taking place within the close to future as I wasn’t certain and I could not consider anybody else on the ATP tour that may put themselves ahead for one thing like this, to which the reply got here, ‘I feel tennis wants Nick Kyrgios.’
Not a press release I agree with, definitely one to get folks speaking and with how issues have gone and with Kyrgios stepping ahead to play on this match possibly the tables have turned and after saying 10 years in the past, ‘I do not actually like the game of tennis that a lot,’ possibly now it is Kyrgios who wants tennis!
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