TThis has been Aryna Sabalenka’s year for so many reasons. As of 2025, she has reached three of four Grand Slam finals, won her fourth major title at the US Open and further positioned herself as a generational great. From her humble origins as a volatile, one-note ball-basher, the 27-year-old has admirably evolved into an increasingly complete player. Sabalenka is the best player in the world for the second year in a row.
The fleeting tennis offseason is usually an opportunity for players and spectators alike to reflect on such great performances before the new season arrives. This year, however, the December discourse has been derailed by the fast-approaching train wreck that Sabalenka is at the heart of.
On Sunday, Sabalenka, the world No. 1 in women’s tennis, will play Nick Kyrgios in an exhibition match in Dubai billed as the Battle of the Sexes. At the end of many weeks of promotion from both players, it remains on course to be one of the most pointless tennis events ever.
It’s not hard to see why this match would be attractive to Kyrgios, who has had an endless series of injuries over the past three years and has played just six official matches in this period. At 30 years old, it is unclear whether he will be able to return to the tour in a consistent or competitive manner. He’s apparently here to make as much money as he can while he still can.
Sabalenka’s participation in this event is much more remarkable and disappointing. Since announcing the Sabalenka exhibition, Kyrgios and their camp have refuted the subsequent criticism by claiming that it should be seen solely as light-hearted entertainment that will be highly beneficial to the sport, stimulate greater interest in tennis and reach an audience that may not be interested in the regular competition formats.
At the same time, however, it is marketed by cynically using the challenges facing women’s sport as bait for engagement. Sabalenka has claimed that the match will “take women’s tennis to the next level” and she has also referenced Billie Jean King’s 1973 huge upset victory over former player Bobby Riggs in one of the original Battle of the Sexes battles, a seminal moment for women’s sport that played a major role in changing attitudes towards female athletes.
Regardless of the outcome, this event is an own goal for Sabalenka and women’s tennis. There is nothing to learn from it at all. A top female player cannot compete with a top male player and the public will not believe any scenario where they do. However, women’s tennis is still a great sport that is responsible for some of the greatest athletes ever seen. The sport needs more attention and eyes, but that should be due to the countless great competitive performances and unforgettable personalities.
The last thing women’s tennis needs is tired discussions about equal prize money, which will never change, and women playing best-of-five-sets matches – topics this event is sure to stir up. The position of number 1 in the WTA, the leader of the largest women’s sport in the world, has always been of great symbolism and importance. Sabalenka has used the position she has earned to give people the opportunity to destroy her sport.
The build-up to this event was even grimmer than expected. In early December, Sabalenka and Kyrgios were interviewed by Piers Morgan and the discussion quickly turned to the topic of trans women in professional tennis, with Sabalenka slamming the presence of trans women in the sport. Her comments made global headlines.
There are zero trans women on the WTA Tour. A much more relevant and pressing issue is the misogyny that female players face on a daily basis, both from outside and within the sport. Sabalenka has chosen to make statements ahead of an exhibition claiming to protect women’s sports and which she believes will help, as she sits shoulder to shoulder with Kyrgios, a man who pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend, had to distance himself from Andrew Tate after he reposted the proud misogynist on social media and faced accusations of sexist comments about female players such as Anna Kalinskaya and Donna Vekic.
The attention this has generated is undeniable. The event was picked up by the BBC and Sabalenka was directed to the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, a stage usually only open to tennis players immediately after a US Open win. It would not be a surprise if the 17,000 seats in the Dubai Coca-Cola Arena were largely filled.
However, attention is not always positive. This exhibition is nothing more than a cynical attempt to fabricate controversy for the benefit of the bank accounts of both the players and all other entities involved. It’s truly an event of its time, a time when influencers make more money for their celebrity boxing fights than many of the world’s top fighters. No serious figure actually believes that Jake Paul using his celebrity to make untold millions by fighting Anthony Joshua or a 58-year-old Mike Tyson is actually good for boxing, just as no serious figure should believe that this event has a noble purpose. Sabalenka and Kyrgios are both represented by the same agency, Evolve, and each stands to gain big time.
2025 was one of the best women’s tennis seasons in recent memory, powered by the performances of Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, but with a stellar supporting cast including Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys, players who made life incredibly difficult for the top two and provoked countless spectacular matches. As always, the best way to understand the greatness of women’s tennis is to watch women’s tennis.
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