A week ago in Dubai, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka faced Nick Kyrgios in a heavily promoted exhibition that quickly sparked controversy. Kyrgios won 6-3, 6-3 after Sabalenka’s court was reduced by nine percent to offset his physical advantages, drawing stark comparisons to the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes.” As criticism mounted before and after the match, Iga Swiatek has now entered the debate, delivering a blunt assessment of the spectacle.

Iga Swiatek shared her views during the United Cup pre-match press conference. She made it clear she did not follow the exhibition match. “I haven’t watched because I don’t watch stuff like that,” she said. Still, she acknowledged the attention it generated. “I think for sure it attracted a lot of attention. It was entertainment.”

Swiatek was firm in separating the event from any deeper meaning.

“But I wouldn’t say that had anything to do with social change or any important topics,” she added. She stressed that the comparison to history was superficial. “I think the name was just the same as the one from the Billie Jean King match in ’73. That’s it.”

The Polish star emphasized that the similarities ended there. “There were no more similarities because I feel like women’s tennis stands on its own right now.” She later highlighted the strength of the women’s game today. “We have so many great athletes and great stories to present.”

Swiatek also rejected the idea of constant comparisons. “We don’t necessarily need to compare to men’s tennis,” she said. Her stance was clear and direct. “Honestly, there doesn’t need to be any competition.” For her, the women’s tour has its own value and identity.

Looking ahead to the Australian Open, the only Grand Slam she has yet to win, the world No. 2 praised the United Cup format.

“I think actually events like this one, United Cup, brings tennis together,” she said. “Seeing also singles players that usually don’t have space to play mixed doubles together… is actually what makes our sport much more interesting and better.”

Alongside Iga Swiatek, former British number one Annabel Croft also questioned the exhibition. She felt it failed to meet expectations. “I think it didn’t quite live up to what I thought it might be.” Even before the match, criticism was already growing about the concept and its value.

Former WTA player and commentator Rennae Stubbs was far more direct. Speaking on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, she dismissed the event entirely. “No one gives a f— about what’s happening with Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios,” Stubbs said. She also questioned the purpose behind it.

Stubbs went further by challenging the motives behind the exhibition. “I mean, the only reason they’re putting this on is because it is literally their company, Evolve, who’s a sponsor, who’s their management company… But what is in this for women’s tennis?” 

However, after the match ended, Sabalenka responded to the criticism by sharing her own blunt thoughts on the contest itself.

Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios respond to widespread criticism

The atmosphere inside Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena was often flat. The venue holds 17,000 fans, but the upper tier was closed. This reduced the crowd to a smaller sell-out that struggled to generate sustained noise.

When the match began, most of the support leaned toward Aryna Sabalenka. Early cheers followed her points. As the scoreline shifted in Nick Kyrgios’s favor, the volume noticeably faded.

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Kyrgios had promised celebrity glamour to boost the spectacle. However, only Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Kaka stood out. They arrived midway through the first set and briefly lifted the energy inside the arena.

As Kyrgios moved closer to victory, cameras caught a striking moment. A young child was shown asleep in their mother’s arms. That image quickly became symbolic of an event that continues to divide opinion.

Later, despite the criticism that the match gained, Sabalenka strongly defended the moment afterward. “I honestly don’t understand how people were able to find something negative in this event,” she said. “I think for the WTA, I just showed that I was playing great tennis; it was an entertaining match, it wasn’t like 6-0, 6-0. It was a great fight, it was interesting to watch, and it brought more eyes to tennis.”

She also explained the broader idea behind the exhibition. “The idea behind it is to help our sport grow and show tennis from a different side, that tennis events can be fun and we can make it almost as big as Grand Slam matches,” Sabalenka added.

Kyrgios echoed that view and defended both the contest and his opponent. He highlighted his own career achievements to underline the competitiveness of the matchup. “Let me just remind you that I’m one of 16 people who have ever beaten the ‘Big Four’ – Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafa Nadal have all lost to me.”

He concluded with a wider vision for the future. “She just proved she can go out there and compete against someone who’s beaten the greatest of all time. There’s nothing but positive that can be taken away from this,” Kyrgios said. “I’m sure the next time we do it, if I’m a part of it and if she’s a part of it, it’ll be a cultural movement that will happen more often, and I think it’s a step in the right direction.”

With Iga Swiatek now weighing in, the debate around the “Battle of the Sexes” appears far from over.