Roger Rashid, a respected figure on the tour, believes the gender showdown “will bring nothing” to Sabalenka and could even harm the cause of women’s tennis.
© AFP
The modern version of the “Gender Showdown”, which will be held in Dubai on December 28th, has been making headlines every day this off-season.
Many officials, players, coaches and analysts have expressed their opinions on the showdown between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios. The match will be played under very specific conditions, with courtside for the Australian side reduced by 9%.
“It’s pretty insulting to women’s tennis.”
While some are enthusiastic about this, Roger Rashid is not. He expressed a highly critical view of ABC Sports:
“Honestly, I’m not a fan of this project. I don’t think this is a positive situation for women’s tennis. Frankly, I find it quite insulting.
I can’t understand what this does for the number one player in the world. If the aim is to support Sabalenka commercially, is this really the ideal venue? ”

