Aryna Sabalenka stepping on court with Nick Kyrgios on December 28 has all the ingredients of a modern “Battle of the Sexes 2.0.” Set inside Dubai’s 17,000-seat Coca-Cola Arena, the matchup blends pure spectacle with star power. And the timing couldn’t be better for Sabalenka, who made 2025 unmistakably her year. She reached three of the four Grand Slam finals, captured her fourth major at the US Open, and posted a dominant 63-12 record, cementing her status as a generational force. Once labeled a volatile, one-dimensional hitter, the 27-year-old has evolved into a far more complete player and finishes the season as the world’s best for the second straight year.

From Nick Kyrgios’ side, however, it’s easy to understand the appeal. Injuries have defined the past couple years of his career, limiting him to just six official matches in that span. Now 30, questions remain about whether he can ever return to the tour in a consistent, competitive way. Moreover, for Kyrgios, this event offers a spotlight and a payday, an opportunity to capitalize while he still can. Still, his biggest weapon hasn’t gone anywhere.

Kyrgios’ serve remains elite, highlighted by 747 aces across 47 matches in 2022, including 150 on his run to the Wimbledon final. That raises an intriguing question heading into this showdown: who actually holds the edge statistically? From ace percentage and serve speed to unforced error rates and beyond, it’s time to take a closer look at how these two stack up.

Who has the serve advantage: Aryna Sabalenka vs Nick Kyrgios on aces, speed & first-serve efficiency?

Aryna Sabalenka currently sits at world No. 1 in the WTA rankings, and her numbers back it up. In 2025, she has been in very good form, winning 82.4% of her matches. She lands 62.8% of her first serves, averages 3.97 aces per match, and keeps her double-fault ratio at a manageable 2.2.

Nick Kyrgios, on the other hand, enters with very different numbers. Ranked 671 in the ATP rankings, his 2025 season hasn’t lived up to his past standards with just a 25.0% win rate, across five matches. He does, however, connect on 71% of his first serves and averages a massive 10.5 aces per match, though his double-fault ratio sits slightly higher at 2.5, though in 2025 there’s a small sample size to work with. .

However, to make things clearer, let’s break the stats down into tables for an easier side-by-side comparison.

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Sabalenka vs. Kyrgios: How do unforced errors and aggression levels compare?

When it comes to unforced errors, context matters just as much as raw numbers, especially with two ultra-aggressive players like Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios.

Sabalenka typically records a higher unforced-error count per match than more conservative players, often landing in the mid-to-high 20s, and occasionally crossing 30+ errors in hard-hitting matches. This is a direct byproduct of her first-strike tennis: she looks to end points early, especially off the forehand and return.

Kyrgios, by contrast, usually posts fewer rally-based unforced errors, largely because his serve does so much of the work. Many of his points end in aces or one-shot forehands, meaning fewer neutral exchanges where errors pile up. However, when rallies do extend, his backhand wing can leak errors quickly.

Moreover, in high-pressure matches, (such as Grand Slam finals or late-round clashes), Sabalenka’s error count has historically fluctuated. In recent seasons, however, that trend has settled. With guidance from former biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan, she has transformed her serve, cutting down double faults and evolving into one of the most reliable and dangerous servers on the WTA Tour.

Regardless, this matchup is a study in contrasting forms of aggression. Whether sustained pressure or first-ball brilliance proves more decisive is what makes this “Battle of the Sexes 2.0” so compelling. That said, do you think Aryna Sabalenka could convincingly defeat Nick Kyrgios and recreate the moment from Sept. 20, 1973, when Billie Jean King stepped onto the court and beat Bobby Riggs?