Who is competing in exhibitions over Christmas: Rybakina and Swiatek set to clash in Shenzhen while Sabalenka and Kyrgios prepare for Battle of the Sexes

While many people will be relaxing at home over the Christmas in the company of their family and friends, many top tennis players will be battling it out in a host of exhibition tournaments taking place over the festive period.

It is a golden opportunity for some of the best players in the world get back in the groove of competing, boosting their match fitness and sharpness back to the levels they would want to be at in time for the start of the 2026 campaign Down Under.

The Macau Tennis Masters is always a popular event for players to compete in, bringing a competitive vibe in the surroundings of a more relaxed exhibition event. There will be two days of tantalising action lasting from December 27-28.

There will be two teams competing for glory. Two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na will lead out a star-studded team. The Chinese women has enjoyed a successful career on the WTA Tour. She has won the 2011 Roland Garros and 2014 Australian Open while also reaching two other major finals in Melbourne. She is a worthy captain for what is a talented trio of players.

Teenage sensation Alexandra Eala will look to continue her breakout year into 2026. The Filipino has broken countless records and barriers for her country in 2025, breaking into the top 50 and winning a WTA title. She will partner up alongside Ugo Humbert. The Frenchman's 2025 derailed at the end after an injury in the Swiss Indoors semi-final prevented his involvement in the Paris Masters. He returned for the Ultimate Tennis Showdwon Grand Final but lost out in the latter stages to Alex de Minaur. The team will be completed by 20-year-old Chinese talent Juncheng Shang. He is the current Chinese number four and will relish the chance to play in front of a home crowd.

Another Grand Slam champion will lead out the other team, in the form of Conchita Martinez. The Spaniard was the 1994 Wimbledon champion, and on top of that has made another two Grand Slam finals. She is joined by world number nine Mirra Andreeva. The two-time WTA 1000 champion is touted to have a very bright future in the sport, showcased at the start of last year when she came out of the blocks like a rocket. She eventually slowed down as the season continued but the Russian will be hopeful of more success in 2026, starting with the exhibition in Macau. Also on the team is Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The world number 14 has continued to improve in the sport but is yet to win a singles ATP title. He will be hoping that glory here can lead him on he road for later success. Wu Yibing wraps up the team. The Chinese history-maker was the first player from the nation on the ATP Tour to reach and win an ATP title, doing so in the 2023 DC Open. 

Also in China, the World Tennis Continental Cup will commence from December 26-28 in Shenzhen. In a Ryder Cup format, Team Europe and Team World will collide as they look to take the bragging rights with them.

Team Europe have brough out some serious weapons. This includes six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, who is determined to get back to her very best. The Pole had a slight dip in 2025, but still showed her class with an incredible run at Wimbledon, pushing everyone aside enroute to the title. If she shows that form throughout next season, then no one will have a chance to stop her wherever she is competing let alone the exhibition in Shenzhen. She joins forces with Belinda Bencic. The Swiss tennis player missed the whole of 2024 while she became a mother for the first time. She returned in 2025 with a vengeance, rising over 900 places to finish just outside of the top 10 in a glorious campaign which involved two titles and a Wimbledon semi-final trouncing to Swiatek.

Davis Cup hero Flavio Cobolli knows how to play under pressure in a team environment. He helped Italy go on to win the Davis Cup Finals for a third consecutive year on home soil in Bologna. He was imperious that week, and has been practicing in the off-season with world number one Carlos Alcaraz, fine-tuning his skills. Valentin Vacherot will also be making a return to the country where his life changed. He came into the Shanghai Masters now even on the shortlist for qualifying, but left as the champion after incredibly defeating his cousin Arthur Rinderknech. The Monegasque rose from world number 204 to 40.

Team World can also boast a strong lineup, led by the recent WTA Finals champion Elena Rybakina. The Kazakh surprised the tennis world after playing some outstanding tennis on the way to the title. She won an eye-watering $5,000,000 for winning it unbeaten and rose back into the top five. Now hotly tipped to win more major titles, she is an ominous opponent to come up against. Former doubles Grand Slam champion Xinyu Wang will look to put a smile on the Chinese fans faces.

That could also be said for Zhizhen Zhang. After debuting inside the top 32 in 2024, he has since plummeted down the rankings outside the world top 400. The two-time Masters 1000 quarter-finalist will be hoping to put his injury demons behind him and get a decent spell on the court. The final member will be Andrey Rublev. The Russian finished outside of the top 10 for the first time since 2019 after a below-par season by his high standards. He is determined to get back to his best, and will be tested in this exhibition tournament ahead to a return to ATP action.

One of the biggest talking points throughout the year has been about the controversial Battle of the Sexes, taking place on December 28 in Dubai. World number one Aryna Sabalenka will come up against Nick Kyrgios as they repeat the famous event first held back in 1973. It is most famous for Billie Jean King defeating Bobby Riggs in straight sets while watched on by 90 million spectators. It was a huge moment for women's tennis, sport and rights.

The pair have both been confident going into the clash, taking light-hearted jabs at each other while both quietly determined to get the better of the other. There are a few rules for the match. Sabalenka's side of the court is 9% smaller than Kyrgios's side, while both players can only use one serve, levelling out the playing field. Sabalenka has the advantage by way of competing a lot more than Kyrgios, who has just recently got back in the swing of things after lengthy injury absences. He will be hoping to kick start his 2026 season on the back of defeating the Belarusian.