Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka seems to be reflecting on some of the criticism she faced after losing to Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, with scores of 6-3, 6-3, during the Battle of the Sexes match held in Dubai on Sunday.
At a post-exhibition press conference, the WTA’s top-ranked player defended the event, saying she felt she did well against the 2022 Wimbledon finalist, especially in a match that attracted the attention of some “pretty big names” at the Coca-Cola Arena.
Sabalenka expressed her confusion, stating, “I don’t understand how people could find anything negative about this event.” She added, “He played great tennis. It was an interesting match. Yes, he won, but I played well. It wasn’t a total blowout. It was a great battle and entertaining to watch. It drew more attention to tennis.” She repeated that the match was indeed “great.”
“Legends were watching the game,” she continued. “I got messages of support from some prominent figures who said they would tune in from various places. It definitely brought more focus to our sport. I just don’t see how that could be seen negatively. How can that be bad?”
She further elaborated on the purpose behind the event, suggesting it aimed to promote growth in tennis and showcase it in a fun, entertaining manner, almost rivaling the excitement of a Grand Slam match. “I think the buzz we created was comparable to that of a Grand Slam final,” she remarked.
Sabalenka and Kyrgios’ match evoked memories of the 1973 encounter between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, where King, an advocate for women’s rights and equal pay in tennis, won decisively.
A portion of the backlash stemmed from the different conditions of the match, with Sabalenka playing on a court that was approximately 9 percent smaller than that of Kyrgios.
Renee Stubbs, the former coach of Serena Williams, criticized the match, labeling it a “money grab”. She stated on X, “If that’s true, then it clearly benefited both the players and management financially. Was it fun? That’s for you to decide. But is it significant? Not really.” She added that top women simply can’t compete against superior male players due to physical constraints, but at least “we earned $$$! So hopefully it was worth it.”
After the match, Kyrgios also lent his support to Sabalenka, telling reporters, “There’s nothing but positive things to emerge from this.”
