Poland’s Iga Swiatek said on Saturday that women’s tennis had “no need” for competitions such as the “Battle of the Sexes”, a week after the match won by Australian Nick Kyrgios against world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
“We have so many great players and great stories to showcase that we don’t necessarily need to compare ourselves to men’s tennis. Honestly, there’s no need for competition.”declared the world No.2 in Sydney, where she begins her 2026 season with the United Cup. Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and Australian Nick Kyrgios, Wimbledon finalist in 2022 who fell below 650th place in the world, faced each other a week ago in Dubai during a highly publicized exhibition match. The Australian won 6-3, 6-3, during a match where, to balance the debates, Sabalenka’s side of the court had been reduced by 9% and the two opponents had only one service.
“I didn’t watch the match, because I don’t watch that kind of thing”Swiatek said. “It was entertainment, but I wouldn’t say it had anything to do with social change or important issues. I think the name was just the same as Billie Jean King’s match in 1973. That’s it. There were no other similarities, because I have the impression that women’s tennis is now a discipline in its own right.she added.
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This “Battle of the Sexes” 2025 referred to the one which in 1973 pitted former American champion Bobby Riggs, then aged 55, against the two best players of the time, Margaret Court Smith then Billie Jean King. It was a question of women asserting their worth while their professional circuit was being organized and King’s victory over Riggs, who had initially dominated Court Smith, had a certain impact. The Dubai remake received mixed reactions, both because of the quality of the match and its usefulness, like Billie Jean King. “Our match was about social change (…) this is not the case” of the clash between Kyrgios and Sabalenka, the American insisted.
