“I feel like it’s not fair”: Aryna Sabalenka reignites debate over trans inclusion in women’s tennis before Battle of Sexes

Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka sat down with Piers Morgan ahead of their exhibition “Battle of the Sexes,” where one of the topics touched upon was the inclusion of trans tennis players in women's tennis. “I have nothing against them, but I feel like they still have a huge advantage over women,” Sabalenka admitted from the start.

By placing a male and female professional player on the same court, their exhibition naturally triggered broader questions about physical differences and whether sporting categories should be reconsidered in an era of unprecedented gender-identity debates. “I think it’s just not fair for a woman to basically face a biological man,” Sabalenka added. “It’s not fair — the woman has worked her whole life to reach her limit, and then she has to face someone biologically much stronger.”

Morgan noted that Martina Navratilova, herself a former World No. 1 and a long-time advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, has spoken strongly against allowing trans women to compete in women’s tennis. Sabalenka agreed with the sentiment. “So for me, I don’t agree with this in sport.”

Morgan insisted on the same question for Kyrgios, but the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up avoided going deep into the topic. “I feel the exact same way, to be honest. I’ve got nothing to add. She hit the nail on the head.”

Morgan then referenced recentcomments made by Marta Kostyuk according to Tennis365 at the end of October, where she spoke about the physical difference that puts Sabalenka and Swiatek a step ahead of the rest. “We all have our own biological structure. Some have a higher level of testosterone, some have lower. It’s just natural and that definitely helps,” the Ukrainian had said. “I feel smaller than them. I try to see how I can beat these players with the tennis skills I have, but I have to work harder to win the points.”

“It’s funny that we even talk about someone like Marta Kostyuk’s comments,” the 4-time major champion responded. “All I hear are excuses. And it’s funny because she’s a strong girl — she probably has more muscles than I do.”

Sabalenka dismissed the comment, describing it as an excuse rather than a meaningful argument. “She looks fit and strong. I don’t think that’s the case in all the matches she’s lost against top players.”

Kyrgios, for his part, supported his rival for the upcoming "Battle of the Sexes," assuring that physical differences between competitors will always exist. “Yeah, I’m trying to debunk that. Someone like John Isner or Ivo Karlović was far bigger than Roger Federer — you’re always going to get physical differences.”