Tennis
Man against woman: The “Battle of the Sexes” turns into a farce
Gender battle in tennis: The “Battle of the Sexes” between the currently best tennis player and the world number 671. caused anger among many fans and experts.
Can women compete with men in professional sports? This question is always controversially discussed – and the “Battle of the Sexes” should at least provide an attempt at an answer. Tennis professional Nick Kyrgios met world-class player Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai.
The outcome was clear: the Australian prevailed against the Belarusian in two sets 6:3, 6:3. Kyrgios rarely had any serious problems throughout the match. The duel only lasted one hour and 17 minutes.
The show event attracted a lot of attention – among other things, Brazil’s former soccer star Ronaldo was among the spectators. But most observers were amazed at the absurdity of the event.
Nick Kyrgios hasn’t played a professional game for nine months
It started with the selection of opponents: On the one hand, Aryna Sabalenka, 27 years old and currently the best tennis player in the world. On the other side of the net, Nick Kyrgios: The 30-year-old has not competed on the tour since March due to persistent knee problems and is currently ranked 671 in the world.
Sabalenka arrived in a glittering suit and occasionally danced for the spectators. With a clear lead, Kyrgios even served from below – actually unsportsmanlike in a serious tennis match among professionals.
Visually, the playing field looked strange: Sabalenka’s half was nine percent smaller, so the sidelines were not flush. There was no change of sides. This was intended to compensate for the fact that, anatomically speaking, women have weaker punches. There was also only one serve instead of the usual two.
god the court difference, the way he mocks that winner and how he ended up winning that thing, it’s so degrading and despicable… pic.twitter.com/QU4KWnuq0i
— just ray (@demonicserve) December 28, 2025
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A lot of criticism of the “Battle of the Sexes”
The event caused a lot of criticism from fans and experts. For most people, it was a show event without much knowledge gain, where women's tennis in particular could only lose. Even before the match, Boris Becker had criticized the selection of Kyrgios as a male representative: "Just take someone who plays actively, who is on the tour." Former player Andrea Petkovic called the match a “lose-lose story”.
During and after the game, the criticism from the scene became even clearer. "I'm not sure this match really did tennis any favors," said former British tennis player Greg Rusedski on
The British newspaper "Guardian" saw an event that was "close to the circus" and was particularly enjoyed by "misogynists and incels." Former world number one Annabel Croft also said the game was “not as I expected”.
The renowned tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg was even harsher. “This match made the world dumber,” he wrote. It "reached media attention around the world, but failed at every sporting level."
The "Battle of the Sexes" goes back to a duel in 1973: The former Wimbledon winner Bobby Riggs, 55, clearly defeated the best player in the world at the time, Margaret Court. A little later, Billie Jean King won against Riggs, and this victory was a huge success for women's sports.
Sources: "Guardian", BBC, Ben Rothenberg, DPA news agency
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