"If you win against the girl, it's like, ‘Oh yeah, congrats, well done’" - Aryna Sabalenka depicts Battle of the Sexes as 'win-win' against 'showman' Nick Kyrgios

Aryna Sabalenka has described her Battle of the Sexes clash against Nick Kyrgios as a 'win-win' for herself ahead of the highly anticipated matchup in Dubai on 28th December.

The event has come under heavy scrutiny and criticism by many tennis fans and pundits, with the disparity between genders on the court a huge talking point. While Sabalenka has a slim advantage with her side of the court 9% smaller and second serves banished, it will still be an uphill task for the world number one against the 652nd ranked player on the ATP circuit.

Sabalenka will be heading into the exhibition all guns blazing, as she heaps all the pressure onto her Aussie opponent, keeping any weight off her shoulders as she looks to make a game out of it.

“I just want to play my best tennis and put him in a very uncomfortable situation, because for him it's lose-lose, you know?" Sabalenka told The National. "If you win against the girl, it's like, ‘Oh yeah, congrats, well done’. If you lose against the girl, then it's, you know, ‘Come on, Nick!’ And for me, it's win-win. If I win, that's like, OK, we have something to talk about. And if I lose, I mean, I just hope that I'm not going to lose 6-0. And if I lose, that it's a tight battle, and I just want to force him to go crazy on court.”

The concept was launched into the mainstream back in 1973 when Billie Jean King secured a huge win for women's tennis after defeating Bobby Riggs 3-0. This propelled the reputation of the women's game skywards, making it one of the reasons it is so successful today.

Sabalenka wants to add to King's incredible result, inspired by the American. “I totally understand the responsibility of this match that I, in a way, put on my shoulders, and that's why I'll go out there, and there's no jokes. I'll play full. And hopefully, I can just keep up with Billie Jean and probably help women’s tennis to get better conditions,” the Belarusian said after her WTA Finals victory against Jessica Pegula.

Novak Djokovic has enjoyed a great relationship with both Sabalenka and Kyrgios over the years. He has been on a double-date with Sabalenka and their partners, while training with her regularly and offering his wisdom and advice only a 24-time Grand Slam champion can muster up.

His relationship with Kyrgios has improved over the years. From Kyrgios calling out the Serbian after the drama surrounding him in the 2022 Australian Open, to them becoming good friends after the Wimbledon final later that year. At the end of 2024, Djokovic officially hailed it as a 'bromance,' with their friendship continuing to blossom.

This gives Djokovic a tricky decision: whose box will he sit in? Sabalenka hopes it will be in her box if the 38-year-old decides to come and watch it live. “I really hope to bring him into my box and be my coach just to put an extra pressure on Nick,” Sabalenka said. "I already told Nick, like, ‘Nick, you know what, Novak is really helping me, with the tactics and everything.’ Which his reply was like, ‘Well, he always struggled with me.’ But I was like, ‘But he always won. So, you know what? Probably you're going to struggle against me as well. So I really hope that I'll be able to pull out my best tennis and just put Nick in a very uncomfortable situation."

Sabalenka ruled herself out of a chance of coming out on top against someone who had been playing on tour all year, but gave herself a chance against Kyrgios who has only featured in three singles tournaments in 2025, with the last one coming back in March at the Miami Open.

“First of all, it's going to be a great show. And I feel like Nick is a showman in a way. I'm happy with my opponent,” Sabalenka said. "And I feel like if I would play against someone who's been playing on tour, has matches in his back, I would probably, not have that much of a chance. And against Nick, I feel like there is something that I can keep up with.”