Atlanta Cup Exhibition Round-up | Sabalenka triumphs over former number one as Kyrgios marks return to court with defeat

World number one Aryna Sabalenka has come out on top in the Atlanta Cup Exhibition held on December 6, with the returning Nick Kyrgios playing his first match since July.

The Atlanta crowd were set for an event packed with drama and entertainment. It would be a battle of the four-time Grand Slam champions with Sabalenka taking on Naomi Osaka in their first matchup since the 2018 US Open, while Kyrgios completed his comeback by facing off against the talented American Ben Shelton.

Up first were the women, with Sabalenka just about getting the better of Osaka 6-3, 4-6, 10-4. The Japanese athlete had started to find her best tennis once more in 2025 after years of struggle. She reached the semi-final of the US Open, the final of the Canadian Open among other deep runs, shooting her up to 16th in the world. It was a battle of the former number one versus the current, and it would be Sabalenka who proved her class.

It was a positive start for Sabalenka, who nicked a closely fought first set 6-3. Osaka would make a game of it, as she came charging back to win the second set and force a tiebreaker in front of an excited crowd. Sabalenka would show her class in the first to 10 tiebreak, completing the job and getting a positive win over a tough opponent.

Despite it being the world number six against 668, it was another close contest between Shelton and Kyrgios. As expected, Shelton managed to win 7-6, 6-3. The former Wimbledon finalist proved that he is still able to compete with the best despite a lengthy spell on the sidelines and numerous failed comebacks, including two in 2025.

A mixed doubles match followed this, with Sabalenka and Kyrgios getting their first taste of facing off against each other. Sabalenka, partnered with Shelton, came out on top over Kyrgios and Osaka.

Sabalenka is looking to follow in the footsteps of the great Billie Jean King. She successfully defeated former world number one Bobby Riggs in straight sets back in 1973. This spectacle was displayed for the whole world to watch, with around 90 million people viewing a hugely important moment for women's rights and tennis. King added to her legacy, and has inspired many generations since.

This was the second version of this format, with Sabalenka and Kyrgios playing out the fourth chapter in this series of matches. The third and most recent Battle of the Sexes came in 1992 between Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova. Despite the advantage Navratilova had, she still lost to the American 7-5, 6-2.

On December 28 in Dubai, Sabalenka and Kyrgios will be locking horns as they target victory. Similar to the 1992 matchup, Sabalenka will have a slight advantage in terms of restrictions in place for Kyrgios. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist will only have one serve to his disposal, while Sabalenka's side of the court will be shrank 9%.

In the press conference following those matchups, Sabalenka went all guns blazing at her upcoming Aussie opponent, not ducking the possibly awkward question as she added more fire to the fuel before the clash. When asked about the Battle of the Sexes, she confidently stated: “I know I’m gonna win that one, so I don’t even have to be there and watch his game. Come on.”