Nick Kyrgios. Photo = Getty Images Korea
[동아닷컴]
Nick Kyrgios (30, Australia), known as the ‘bad boy’, easily won a match of the sexes against world number one women’s tennis player Arina Sabalenka (27, Belarus).
Kyrgios faced Sabalenka at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the 29th (Korean time).
This is the fourth tennis match in history. It was held twice in the past, in 1973 and 1992. In other words, it is the first tennis match in 33 years.
On this day, rules were applied unfavorably to Kyrgios, a male player. First of all, the court on Sabalenka’s side was 9% smaller, and neither player was given a second serve.
Additionally, the match is played in three sets, and the last three sets reflect the rule that the first to score 10 points wins. The result was one-sided.
Kyrgios won 2-0 (6-3 6-3) after overwhelming Sabalenka, the women’s world number one. The opinion was that Kyrios was overwhelming in both strength and speed.
Arina Savelanka-Nick Kyrgios. Photo = Getty Images Korea
Regarding this match, the Associated Press said, “It was closer to entertainment than an atmosphere toward gender equality.” However, there was criticism that neither player did their best.
After the match, Kyrgios said, “I couldn’t help but be nervous,” and added, “Today’s match will be important to the game of tennis.”
Sabalenka also said, “I played a good match ahead of the Australian Open in January 2026,” and added, “I want to meet Kyrgios again and get revenge.”
Cho Seong-woon, Donga.com reporter madduxly@donga.com
Copyright © Sports Donga. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use of AI learning are prohibited.
