"I'll send him some drinks before the battle": Aryna Sabalenka jokes while setting stage for Nick Kyrgios Battle of the Sexes match

Tennis fans are in for a treat as Aryna Sabalenka prepares for a unique showdown in a "Battle of the Sexes" exhibition match against Nick Kyrgios. In a recent podcast interview with motivational speaker and host Jay Shetty, Sabalenka shared her excitement about revisiting a concept that has not been seen in decades.

Speaking with motivational speaker and host Jay Shetty, Sabalenka said, "Very excited about this repeat." Shetty pointed out the rarity of such a matchup. "I don’t think it’s ever been done again." "No, I think it’s been done like a long, long time ago," Sabalenka replied. "Yeah, Billie Jean King?" Shetty asked. "Yeah, like really long. Years ago," Sabalenka confirmed. When pressed on the year, she replied, "The '70s." "The '70s, yeah. Great game. It’s been a while, right? If anyone hasn’t seen the actual game, there’s a great movie about it too, with Emma Stone,”"Shetty added. "We’re bringing it back," Sabalenka said enthusiastically.

When asked what inspired her to take part in the match, Sabalenka pointed to the broader fight for gender equality in tennis. "Well, yeah, since we’re fighting for equal prize money, I believe that’s the reason, no?" she said. However, she quickly added that her motivation was also personal. "No, but mostly I just think it’s fun and cool to see. It’s interesting for me to play against the man, and I’m ready to kick his… I will allow myself to use this word: kick his ass, right? I’m putting a lot of pressure on him right now, so I hope he’s going to just withdraw from feeling all of that pressure," Sabalenka joked.

Shetty encouraged her to send a message to Kyrgios saying, "Give us that message to Nick. I'm going to send it to Nick straight away after this message.". The Belerusian responded saying, "Well, Nick, you got to be ready. You better be ready. And yeah, I’m going to kick your ass now.".

The playful banter continued as Sabalenka joked about the possibility of the ATP intervening. "I think the ATP [is] going to cancel the battle. Going to be like, well, okay, if it’s happening, let it be like Jannik or Carlos, but not Nick," she said, keeping the mood light and humorous. Shetty observed, "This is turning into like a boxing match, it feels like.".

Sabalenka also teased her competitively unserious but funny tactics, saying, "Yeah, I’ll make sure I send him some drinks before the battle just so, you know." When asked if she had other tricks up her sleeve, she grinned and said, "Yeah, you know, I’m going to make sure he’s not ready.".

Sabalenka also revealed some unconventional match rules. "So basically, I’ll be on the side with a smaller court," she explained. "Got it," Shetty responded. The world number one elaborated, saying, "So he has a smaller area to hit,". She continued by explaining the serving situation, stating, "And I think we’re going to have one serve each. That’s it.".

When asked about the venue, she admitted, "We’re still trying to figure it out." Shetty expressed his desire to attend, and Sabalenka welcomed him warmly: "Come. You’re going to sit on my chair." "I’ll cheer for you," Shetty said, The conversation ended with playful exchanges about messaging Kyrgios. "I’m going to message Nick now, and I’m cheering for Aryna," Shetty joked. "I love it. I’m on your side," he added as the conversation moved on to another topic.

With her mix of humor, strategy, and competitive drive, Sabalenka promises to make this "Battle of the Sexes" a memorable and entertaining showdown. Fans can expect high energy, clever tricks, and plenty of laughs as she takes on Kyrgios in what promises to be a modern-day twist on a classic tennis rivalry.