Aryna Sabalenka reveals she could be helped by Novak Djokovic in ‘Battle of the Sexes’ clash

Ewan West 06 Nov 2025 5:00 PM

Aryna Sabalenka, Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic

Aryna Sabalenka with Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic inset

Aryna Sabalenka has declared that she wants to force Nick Kyrgios “to go crazy on court” in the pair’s ‘Battle of the Sexes’ showdown as she also revealed how Novak Djokovic could play a key role in the match.

It was announced earlier this week that WTA world No 1 Sabalenka will take on Kyrgios, a former world No 13 and Wimbledon finalist, at the Coca Cola Arena in Dubai on 28 December.

The exhibition match has been organised by Evolve, a sports agency founded by four-time major winner Naomi Osaka which represents both Sabalenka and Kyrgios.

Aryna Sabalenka speaks about the ‘Battle of the Sexes’

Aryna Sabalenka expressed her desire to put Nick Kyrgios in a “very uncomfortable situation” in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ as she feels the match is a “lose-lose” for the Australian
The women’s world No 1 said she understands “the responsibility” she has in the match and added she hopes to “keep up with” tennis icon Billie Jean King, who won the most famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’
Sabalenka has revealed she hopes to be coached by tennis legend Novak Djokovic against Kyrgios
The match has faced criticism, with former doubles world No 1 Rennae Stubbs a high-profile and outspoken detractor

The contest will be best-of-three sets, with a 10-point match tiebreak used in place of a third set if required. Each player will be limited to using one serve.

Sabalenka’s side of the court will be 9% smaller, with Evolve saying that data shows female players move about 9% slower than men on average.

This will be the fourth tennis match billed as a ‘Battle of the Sexes’, and the first since Jimmy Connors beat Martina Navratilova in 1992.

In the second and most famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in September 1973.

What Sabalenka has said about playing Kyrgios

In an interview with The National at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Sabalenka insisted she will have nothing to lose in the match as all the pressure will be on Kyrgios.

“I just want to play my best tennis and put him in a very uncomfortable situation, because for him it’s lose-lose,” said the Belarusian.

“If you win against the girl, it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, congrats, well done’. If you lose against the girl, then it’s, you know, ‘Come on, Nick!’

“And for me, it’s win-win. If I win, that’s like, ‘Okay, we have something to talk about’. And if I lose, I mean, I just hope that I’m not going to lose 6-0. And if I lose, that it’s a tight battle, and I just want to force him to go crazy on court.”

The four-time Grand Slam champion went on to stress that she will be taking the match seriously as she feels it comes with a responsibility.

“I totally understand the responsibility of this match that I, in a way, put on my shoulders,” Sabalenka explained.

“And that’s why I’ll go out there, and there’s no jokes. I’ll play full. And hopefully, I can just keep up with Billie Jean and probably help women’s tennis to get better conditions.”

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Could Sabalenka be helped by Djokovic?

Sabalenka has also divulged that she is hoping to be coached by 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic against Kyrgios.

“I really hope to bring him (Djokovic) into my box and be my coach, just to put an extra pressure on Nick,” Sabalenka said.

“I already told Nick, like, ‘Nick, you know what, Novak is really helping me, with the tactics and everything’, [to] which his reply was like, ‘Well, he always struggled with me’.

“But I was like, ‘But he always won. So, you know what? Probably you’re going to struggle against me as well’.”

Sabalenka-Kyrgios ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match has drawn controversy

The announcement of Sabalenka and Kyrgios’ match has been met with some criticism, with former women’s doubles world No 1 Rennae Stubbs leading the way.

Speaking on her podcast, Stubbs — who won six Grand Slam doubles titles — argued money could be the only reason for the match.

“They are saying this has a significant place in history… yeah, the one 50 years ago was important, when it was women trying to fight for equality and women’s rights in the US. That’s when it was important,” said the Australian.

“No one gives a f*** what is happening with Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios. The only reason they are putting this on is because their management company has gone, ‘We’re going to make a bit of money here.’ But what is in this for women’s tennis?

“Nick Kyrgios, unless he is really hurt and can’t run at all, he is going to win this match easily. It is just a fact.

“Male tennis players, especially someone as good as Nick Kyrgios, even if he is playing at 50 per cent, he is going to win that match. It just doesn’t make sense to me. Is Sabalenka going to be serious? Is it going to be like a joke?”