“Not the Same Thing”: Tennis Icon Draws Line Between Aryna Sabalenka & Nick Kyrgios Showdown and History

Tennis is about to take a bold step toward reviving a piece of its past, and not everyone is thrilled. Aryna Sabalenka is set to face Nick Kyrgios on December 28 in a modern-day tennis ‘Battle of the Sexes’, played under modified rules. The idea first surfaced months ago, sparking curiosity. Now, as the date draws near, the chatter is louder than ever. Even the legend Billie Jean King has joined the conversation.

Speaking to BBC Sport, King, who famously played the original ‘Battle of the Sexes’ against Bobby Riggs back in 1973, shared her thoughts on the WTA World No. 1 and the ATP star taking on the challenge. When asked if she saw any similarities between the two matches, King didn’t hesitate:

“The only similarity is that a man and a woman will face off,” she said. “That’s it, everything else is different. Our match was about social change. I hope it’s a great match, obviously I want Sabalenka to win, but simply it’s not the same thing.” But is that true?

“NON È LA STESSA COSA”

L’ex N.1 del mondo ha parlato della nuova “Battaglia dei Sessi”: una sfida di esibizione tra Sabalenka e Kyrgios, che si svolgerà 52 anni dopo quella giocata e vinta proprio da King contro Riggs

“L’unica somiglianza è che si sfideranno un uomo e una… pic.twitter.com/6CaJSOUQV9

— We Are Tennis Italia (@WeAreTennisITA) December 15, 2025

Well, yes! To recap, 52 years ago, the world tuned in to one of the most famous tennis spectacles ever staged. Bobby Riggs, once a top men’s champion from the 1930s and 40s, was 55 and full of swagger. Calling himself a “hustler” and a “male chauvinist,” he bragged that women’s tennis was weak that he could beat the best of them, even at his age. To prove it, Riggs crushed Margaret Court 6-2, 6-1, and his antics caught everyone’s attention.

That’s when Billie Jean King stepped in. She had turned down Riggs before, but now she knew she had to take him on. It wasn’t just personal, it was symbolic. Promoters hyped the showdown as the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ and gave it primetime treatment. On September 20, 1973, inside the Houston Astrodome, 50 million Americans and another 90 million around the globe watched the drama unfold live.

On the court, King delivered and beat Riggs in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, and pocketed the $100,000 winner-take-all prize. But this was never just about tennis. As King put it later, “I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win that match. It would ruin the women’s [tennis] tour and affect all women’s self-esteem. To beat a 55-year-old guy was no thrill for me. The thrill was exposing a lot of new people to tennis.”

Fast-forward to 2025, and the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ still stirs emotion. Some cheer it on, others not so much. However, after King’s comments, Kyrgios backed up Aryna Sabalenka, saying, “By the way, all the negative comments towards the Battle of the Sexes are doing nothing but giving it more attention. At the end of the day, Aryna will go down as one of the greatest players to play this game. I will have entertained crowds around the world.”

He could be right. Love it or not, this year’s revival has everyone talking! From retired pros to renowned coaches and today’s top players.

Insiders share their thoughts on Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios’s upcoming match

On December 14, the Spanish former pro Garbine Muguruza didn’t hold back on her thoughts on the exhibition match. Seeing the unfair advantage a male player would have over a WTA star, she wasn’t convinced.

“Male superiority is not based solely on strength, but also on physical endurance, muscle mass – it’s a combination of factors,” she said. “I remember never being able to beat my brothers, and even with non-professional male training partners, I never managed to win a set against them. A player ranked 1000th in the world, or even unranked, can be much better than a player in the WTA top 10.”

She’s not the only one raising eyebrows. Lleyton Hewitt’s former coach, Roger Rasheed, voiced his disappointment about the whole idea. “I’m not a fan of it, to be honest,” he said. From his view, the match makes little sense for the women’s game and offers no real upside.

“I think it’s a lose-lose for the women’s side … I actually think it’s quite insulting, to be perfectly honest,” Rasheed added. He questioned the move from Sabalenka’s camp. “I don’t see where there’s one minute, one second of win for the number one player in the world. If you are looking after Sabalenka commercially, is this a place where you want to be?”

Still, the hype keeps building. The exhibition kicks off on December 28 in Dubai, and tennis fans can’t stop talking about it. Sabalenka comes in as world No. 1, while Kyrgios, ranked outside the top 600, is easing his way back from a serious wrist injury. He’s played only five matches in 2025, which adds to the mystery of how he’ll perform.

The twist? It’s a best-of-three with bold, experimental rules: one serve per point and a court nine percent smaller for Aryna Sabalenka, based on data showing women move nine percent slower, according to her agency Evolve. It’s risky, and it’s different. So, who’s taking this one, Sabalenka or Kyrgios? Tell us in the comments!

The post “Not the Same Thing”: Tennis Icon Draws Line Between Aryna Sabalenka & Nick Kyrgios Showdown and History appeared first on EssentiallySports.