Former WTA star questions why Aryna Sabalenka ‘accepted’ controversial rules at ‘Battle of the Sexes’
Former world No 11 Alize Cornet questioned why Aryna Sabalenka “accepted” the format of the controversial ‘Battle of the Sexes’ ahead of the match in Dubai.
Sunday’s much-discussed showdown ended with world No 1 Sabalenka falling 6-3, 6-3 to Nick Kyrgios inside the Coca-Cola Arena.
The build-up to the match had been controversial, with a range of high-profile figures critical of the concept, and the match itself was criticised for numerous reasons, with several calling out the production and an erratic TV feed.
Another talking point that attracted criticism was the format of the match, with several rules put in place to aid Sabalenka against Kyrgios.
Kyrgios was allowed just one serve on each point, but also had a smaller half of the court to aim at compared to Sabalenka.
The dimensions of the court were widely criticised from a viewing perspective and attracted criticism even before the match took place.
Speaking on RMC Sports ahead of the showdown, ex-WTA star Cornet called into question why Sabalenka — one of the leading players of her era — was not facing Kyrgios on a level court.
She said (translated from French): “I’d really like to ask Aryna Sabalenka why she accepted those rules, why she agreed to reduce the court size when she’s been the world No 1 for two years.
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“She can still play on a normal court against Nick Kyrgios. We all know very well that at the highest level, the women and men can play together from the baseline.
“When it comes to serving in between games, it gets more complicated because the men are very powerful, but I’ve had the chance to play against top 50 players without any issues, even points without serving — I didn’t win, but I could defend myself.
“Here, it’s really about diminishing and undervaluing Aryna Sabalenka’s skills, who can very well hold her own against Kyrgios from the baseline, especially since he’s semi-retired.”
Both Sabalenka and Kyrgios raised the prospect of a potential rematch in the future, though it remains to be seen how likely a possibility that is.
They now head to the Brisbane International, the official start of the season for both players.
World No 1 Sabalenka is the defending women’s singles champion at the WTA 500 event, and will look to retain her title at the WTA 500 tournament.
Attempting his latest comeback, Kyrgios has received a wildcard into the ATP 250 men’s singles.
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