After months of mixed reactions and anticipation, the 2025 Battle of the Sexes came to an end. Aryna Sabalenka lost to Nick Kyrgios 3-6, 3-6, following a fiery battle that also had some laughs and lighthearted moments. However, the event wasn’t well-received by everyone. From Billie Jean King herself once saying that this edition was nothing like her match against Bobby Riggs in 1973, noting “Ours was about social change; culturally, where we were in 1973. This one is not.” Not to mention, the rules of this event were modified for Sabalenka, which raised a few eyebrows.

For context: the event featured a few experimental rules. Sabalenka played on a court 9% smaller than Kyrgios’, and both were limited to a single serve per point, eliminating the traditional second serve to emphasize accuracy over power. The match followed a best-of-three format, with a 10-point championship tiebreak deciding the final set if needed. Before the showdown, French ex-pro Alize Cornet spoke with RMC Sports. She raised a valid question on why Aryna Sabalenka would agree to these changes.

“I’d really like to ask Aryna Sabalenka why she accepted those rules,” she said, “Why she agreed to reduce the court size when she’s been the world No. 1 for 2 years. 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.”

During the match at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, Nick Kyrgios handled the slightly smaller court on Aryna Sabalenka’s side with flair, sealing victory in a lively clash played under experimental rules. With only one serve allowed per point, both struggled on delivery at key moments before Kyrgios earned a break for 4-3 and pocketed the first set with authority.

The second set flipped the script. Kyrgios, dripping with sweat and gasping for breath after going 1-3 down, fought to keep pace while Sabalenka danced to the music during a timeout, delighting the crowd. The atmosphere turned up another notch when she sent a shot long, letting Kyrgios level it at 3-3 as the audience roared. But that wasn’t what Cornet had predicted for Sabalenka.

“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.”

Still, the Belarusian wasn’t too let down by the result. In fact, she might just be looking forward to another showdown.

Aryna Sabalenka hints at a rematch with Kyrgios

After facing a tough loss to the Aussie, Sabalenka held her head high in the post-match interview. Even in defeat, she found pride in pushing the 2022 Wimbledon finalist to the edge. For her, the real thrill lay in giving him a tough fight on court.

“He was struggling,” she said post-match. “He got really tired, and it was nice to see the guy getting tired and taking away one of my serves. Yeah, I think it was a great level. I made a lot of great shots, moved a lot to the net, great drop shots made, great serving, and yeah, I really enjoyed the show. And I think, not I think, I feel like next time, when I play him, I’ll already know the tactic, I know his strengths, his weaknesses, and it’s gonna be a better match for sure!”

The stats told the story clearly. Kyrgios may have landed the match’s only ace, but Aryna Sabalenka shone when it mattered most. She kept her composure, producing just one unforced error to his six. She also recorded only five faults against his single double. Even the Aussie couldn’t help but applaud the WTA World No.1’s grit.

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“Honestly, it was a really tough match. She’s a hell of a competitor and obviously such a great champion. She’s a multiple Grand Slam champion. I didn’t know what to expect. As I said before this, whatever role I was about to play, it was another great opportunity to go out here. She broke my serve numerous times.”

After all, Aryna Sabalenka sits proudly atop the WTA rankings and has held the No.1 spot for two straight years. She’s collected four Grand Slam titles and 21 tour trophies. Now she’s gearing up for the 2026 season, eyeing a third Australian Open crown after finishing runner-up in 2025. The question is: Will she seize it this time with both hands?