"I’m going to kick his ass": Aryna Sabalenka relishing Nick Kyrgios 'Battle of the Sexes' showdown in 'lose-lose' for Aussie ace

Fresh off a high-energy exhibition match at Madison Square Garden, two-time U.S. Open champion Aryna Sabalenka returned to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a whirlwind interview filled with stories about New York, on-court distractions, viral social clips, and her upcoming “Battle of the Sexes” showdown with Nick Kyrgios.

Fallon welcomed her back warmly, recalling her surprise appearance during his monologue after her U.S. Open triumph. Sabalenka laughed, calling it “the fun part of winning the U.S. Open.” Albeit it is one that perhaps has been overshadowed with Sabalenka appearing with Nick Kyrgios soon after on Piers Morgan Uncensored where she received criticism for comments on trans inclusion.

Just 24 hours earlier, Sabalenka had taken part in a special exhibition at Madison Square Garden, defeating Naomi Osaka in front of a packed crowd. For Sabalenka, the venue and the city are electric. “I absolutely love New York. I love the crowd, playing in front of everybody. Being back in New York… that was so much fun.”

Playing MSG for the first time was something she’ll never forget. “That’s insane. Incredible. Knowing how many artists performed there, how many athletes played there — big names. Being in line with those people… I will definitely remember that moment for the rest of my life. That was my first time, by the way.”

Fallon shifted the conversation to Sabalenka’s mindset on court, asking whether she ever loses focus when she’s cruising in a match. Her answer brought one of the biggest laughs of the night.

“So many times I start thinking, ‘Did my team make the reservation at my favourite place?’ And I start thinking about the order — what I’m going to order. Then I have to bring myself back every time, like, ‘Come on, Aryna, you’re still on the court. The job is not finished yet.’”

Fallon burst out laughing: “Did we make reservations?!” Sabalenka shrugged: “For me, it’s important! The dinner has to be good.”

Fallon then highlighted one of Sabalenka’s most viral social-media clips: placing her phone on the baseline and returning a serve with pinpoint accuracy straight toward the camera. He expected multiple attempts. She corrected him quickly. “It was the first take. It was so good. Next time I will definitely bet something… make sure my team does some silly stuff after that.”

The video captured the moment perfectly. “Everyone was shocked, and the crazy thing was that we actually recorded it. That was the best. It’s like the highest moment of my career.” Fallon protested, “Oh, please, Aryna,” as the audience applauded.

Sabalenka is also known for her powerful on-court grunts — something Fallon jokingly referred to after hearing them in the clip.

Asked whether she’s aware of the noise in the moment, she admitted: “I have zero control over it.”

She recalled an exhibition with Novak Djokovic where she wore a live mic. “I realised that I’m grunting and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that was so bad for people. We need to offer earplugs.’ I didn’t want to annoy people. I think they shut the sound on my mic when I was hitting the ball.”

Fallon pressed further: was it a sign of focus? Determination? Or was she — once again — thinking about dinner reservations? “I mean, I want to win. That’s almost the only thing in my head when I’m playing the match… aside from making the reservation. But I have zero control over it — unfortunately for so many people.”

Sabalenka then turned to her much-hyped event later this month: a Battle of the Sexes match against Nick Kyrgios.

“I like to challenge myself, and playing against a male athlete — against Nick — it’s a big challenge and I like it.”

She believes the match will boost tennis visibility. “The visibility it got already is incredible. We’re kind of bringing tennis to the next level… It’s going to be a great high-level match for sure.”

Then she gave a prediction that brought the house down: “I’m going to kick his ass. That’s a hundred percent.”

Fallon cracked up, asking if she was serious. Sabalenka doubled down: "You don’t understand how stressed he is. For him, it’s a lose-lose. For me, it’s a win-win.”

Fallon also brought up a fan-favourite Sabalenka superstition: signing the bald head of coach Jason Stacy with a Sharpie for good luck.

Sabalenka confirmed it. “People know how silly our team is. He said, ‘Sign my head then.’ I found a Sharpie, signed it, and it brought good luck — I won the tournament.”

It's been a while since she’s done it, but the tradition still delights fans. Fallon jokingly offered his own forehead for a signature. Sabalenka refused politely: “I cannot be that rude to you.”

Fallon insisted, and she eventually signed his arm instead — promising to make it look “fancy.”