As Nick Kyrgios gears up for a long-awaited return to tennis, he’s doing it with two high-profile exhibition events lined up before the end of 2025. First, the 30-year-old is set to compete in the World Tennis League as a tune-up for his much-talked-about Battle of the Sexes showdown in Dubai against Aryna Sabalenka. But despite his absence from tennis, Kyrgios remains his confident self.

But this time, some of that confidence is tempered by the sense of pressure Kyrgios is feeling with his own lack of match sharpness and reputation at stake. “I was in Hong Kong recently, and a lot of the male players were like, ‘Look, you’re representing all of us.’ So here I am in the firing line again,” he told AAP.

Even so, the Aussie insists he’s ready to handle whatever comes, even delivering a warning to Sabalenka: “I’m not a stranger to taking the heat from the media, but I’m excited whatever the result may be. I’m going to go out there and show the world that as good as she is, she’s got some weaknesses.”

Sabalenka is known for sometimes letting her emotions get the better of her in matches, so if Kyrgios can expose that chink in her armor, the contest could end up becoming very one-sided. And after missing most of 2023 and 2024 due to knee and wrist surgeries and battling pain during the Australian swing earlier this year, he’s determined to make his comeback count.

Speaking to the UTS Tour, Kyrgios reflected on what’s been a limited but emotional season for him. When asked which match stood out the most, he didn’t hesitate. “The last match that made me feel something strong was probably my match earlier this year against Mackenzie McDonald in Miami,” the 30-year-old said, noting it as the most “special” moment of his campaign.

In case you forgot, Nick Kyrgios’ win over Mackenzie McDonald was his only victory of 2025, and the rest of the season hasn’t been kind to him. He fell to Jacob Fearnley at the Australian Open and later suffered losses to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Botic van de Zandschulp. So while Kyrgios is talking confidently ahead of his Battle of the Sexes match with Aryna Sabalenka, he’s also feeling the weight of expectations. Why? Because he knows exactly what’s at stake.

After hinting at retirement following his Australian Open exit, Kyrgios returned briefly in March but again struggled physically. He retired from his Indian Wells match against van de Zandschulp, then rallied for a three-set comeback win over McDonald in Miami, his first tour-level victory since the 2022 US Open.

So with such an up-and-down road behind him, the real question now is how evenly matched the two will be during their showdown.

What to expect at the 2025 Battle of the Sexes

The Battle of the Sexes has had a long history in the sport, with the most famous iteration being Billie Jean King’s match versus Bobby Riggs in 1973 that King won. Can Aryna Sabalenka pull off a similar upset?

Well, the organizers are doing their best to keep the battle as evenly matched as possible. For example, according to the organizers, Evolve, female players tend to move 9% slower on court than male players. So, taking this data into account, Sabalenka’s side of the court will be 9% smaller.

With a serve that can go up to 143 mph—significantly faster than Sabalenka’s fastest serve of 133mph recorded at the 2018 WTA Elite Trophy—the Aussie has a clear advantage. To help even it out, both players will only get one serve.

In the five games he’s played this year, Kyrgios leads Sabalenka in first serve percentage (71% vs. 62%) and service games won (84% vs. 78%). With Sabalenka’s 71 matches played this year, the sample size is skewed but nonetheless is indicative of the kind of challenge the Belarusian can expect to face.

In 1973, Billie Jean King won while at the peak of her powers, defeating a Bobby Riggs who was well into retirement. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Sabalenka and Kyrgios’ positions in the sport right now. Which is to say that if anyone from the WTA is attempting to beat an ATP player, then who better than the reigning world No. 1?