Aryna Sabalenka says she will try to ‘kick Nick Kyrgios’s a**’ when the pair face-off in the Battle of the Sexes match later this year.
The one-off exhibition tie between women’s world no.1 Sabalenka and Kyrgios, ranked 652nd in the men’s rankings, has been confirmed to take place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on December 28.
It will be the fourth installment of the Battle of the Sexes series, first made famous during the 1970s which saw a blockbuster match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
Sabalenka, 27, comes into the match fresh off a supremely successful year in which she won the US Open.
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Meanwhile, Kyrgios has played just five games this year – and was most recently unceremoniously dumped out of the Miami Open second round this March.
But that hasn’t dulled the 30-year-old Aussie’s confidence in his own abilities, saying in September that Sabalenka ‘genuinely thinks she’s going to win’ even though ‘women can’t really return’ his serves.
Aryna Sabalenka has vowed to try to ‘kick Nick Kyrgios ‘s a**’ when the pair play in December
30-year-old Aussie Kyrgios said Sabalenka ‘genuinely thinks she’s going to win’ against him
‘Do you really think I have to try a hundred per cent?,’ Kyrgios said while speaking to tennis player Alexander Bublik in an interview with First and Red.
He went on to predict that he would win with ease, saying: ‘I’d say like 6-2 maybe’.
However, he said today that he has ‘massive respect’ for Sabalenka who he described as a ‘powerhouse and a true champion’.
Kyrios added: ‘But I’ve never backed down from a challenge, and I’m not just here to play, I’m here to entertain. This is what I live for.’
His seemingly more disparaging comments have already served as motivation to Sabalenka, who made reference of them on her way to clinching a second consecutive US Open in September.
‘I think it’s a cool idea,’ she said after the match was announced while on her US Open title hunt. ‘I think it’s gonna be spectacular to watch. It’s going to be fun, especially against someone like Nick.
‘Like he said in another interview, that I genuinely think that I’m going to win, and I’ll definitely go out there, and I’ll try my best to kick his a**.’
When asked if she thought the match was a good thing for women’s tennis, Sabalenka added: ‘It’s gonna be a good thing if I’ll be able to win.
Kyrgios has predicted that he will win with ease and says ‘women can’t really return’ his serves
Sabalenka use his comments as motivation on her way to a consecutive US Open win this year
‘But definitely if we’re going to bring it, we’re going to bring it to somewhere where it’s going to be a lot of people watching, and we’re gonna put a lot of pressure on Nick.’
The tie is sure to attract attention across the globe, as the Battle of the Sexes predecessors did before it.
The first match of the same name was between former women’s no1, Margaret Court, and American tennis veteran Riggs who organised numerous exhibition matches after retiring.
First up for Riggs was Court, who he swept aside 6-2 and 6-1 in two sets in 1973.
But it was the following Battle of the Sexes tie that attracted the eyes of the world, when Billie Jean King faced off against Riggs in Texas – battering him 6-4, 6-3, and 6-3 again in consecutive sets.
It is believed that up to 50million viewers watched the match in the US, while another 40million tuned in across the globe. It was also made into a film starring Steve Carell and Emma Stone in 2017.
Sabalenka said today she has ‘so much respect’ for King and ‘what she has done for the women’s game’.
The most infamous Battle of the Sexes was between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973
She added: ‘I’m proud to represent women’s tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match.’
The third Battle of the Sexes face-off was in Jimmy Connors’ victory over Martina Navratilova in 1992 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Other matches between men and women have continued over the years, with some examples being Karsen Braasch’s victories over Serena and Venus Williams in 1998 at an exhibition during the Australian Open.
The goggle-clad German beat Serena 6-1 in one set before beating Venus 6-2 in the second. The sisters had both claimed they could beat any man ranked outside the top 200 before losing.
