"Try my best to kick his butt": Aryna Sabalenka hits back with own Nick Kyrgios Battle of the Sexes trash talk

Friday, 05 September 2025 at 13:28

Aryna Sabalenka is set to face Nick Kyrgios in a bit of a tennis rarity: a Battle of the Sexes and after comments recently from Kyrgios that he wouldn't need to try, the World No.1 has laid down her own feelings on the matter.

Asked about it after beating Jessica Pegula to reach yet another US Open final, Sabalenka is in a markedly different position to Kyrgios right now. Top of the sport at least on ranking, she has been the top female player for 18 months. While Kyrgios has barely played for the past three years averting comebacks and playing only a few times at the turn of the season.

But while that is the case, Kyrgios who had Sabalenka on his podcast Good Trouble attracts headlines and also soundbites that keep him in the domain as one of tennis' most controversial showman. Whether you love him or you hate him, you can't escape him.

Kyrgios threw down the gauntlet earlier this week and already courted controversy with this own trash talk going into the match which is due to take place in Hong Kong in January. This with remarks that some could construe as being sexist or at the very least writing off Sabalenka too easily.

“Getting to know her, she’s definitely a character,” Kyrgios said. “I’m super excited for that. I think she’s the type of player who genuinely thinks she’s going to win.”

Out to 'kick his ass' - Sabalenka

“She’s not going to beat me, brother,” he insisted. Asked if he would have to try, he hit back: “Do you really think I have to try a hundred percent?”

“I’m going to try,” he confirmed. “Definitely. Because I’m representing, I guess, the men’s side. I’d say like 6-2 maybe. I think I’m going to be okay. I’m going to go there, and I don’t want her to win. That’s for sure.”

Sabalenka kept it humorous and unlike Kyrgios would not be handing out wild score predictions, she said in response to his jibes about winning easily that this has given her extra fire to go out there and try and 'kick his ass'.

Albeit despite being mooted for Hong Kong in the days leading up to the Australian Open, she admitted that no venue of sorts has been confirmed as of yet or a place. Sabalenka will eye her fourth Grand Slam title on Saturday when she faces fellow power player Amanda Anisimova.

"Well, I think it’s a cool idea, you know. I think it’s going to be spectacular to watch. It’s going to be fun, especially against someone like Nick. And like he said in another interview, I genuinely think that I’m going to win. And I’ll definitely go out there and try my best to kick his ass," said Sabalenka in her press conference.

"It’s going to be a good thing if I’m able to win against him. But for now, we’re not sure about the place. If we do bring it, we’ll bring it somewhere where there are going to be a lot of people watching. And we’re going to put a lot of pressure on Nick."

A Battle of the Sexes echoes the famous 1973 showdown for the present day when Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in a key moment for women's rights in regards to tennis and the fight towards equal pay. Sabalenka will be doing it for all women out there, while Kyrgios will want to prove his point that he was going to win easily. More news likely on this in the coming months in likely one of the main exhibitions that take place before the Australian Open.

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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

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