On Sunday, Nick Kyrgios beat Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to claim victory in the Battle of the Sexes match. It was a big moment for the Aussie pro, who hadn’t seen much success on tour this season, having played just five matches and struggling with his wrist injury. Taking the WTA’s World No.1 was no walk in the park, but he did it with a 6-3, 6-3 scoreline. However, the event itself received some high criticism, and now so is his form during the match.

While speaking on the match for BBC Sport, former British number one Annabel Croft shared her thoughts on Kyrgios’ performance. She pointed out that his variety and soft touch gave Aryna plenty of trouble throughout the contest and credited the match for its energy and entertainment factor. Still, Croft felt something was missing.

She said, “I think it didn’t quite live up to what I thought it might be. That was a lot to do with how he played the game. He did what he does on the tour generally. He is a very awkward customer for anyone. Slice, choppy forehands, slow balling, awkwardness. The ball was moving a lot, particularly on his serve.”

Nick Kyrgios fired off the match’s only ace to open the score 1-0, but Aryna Sabalenka quickly found her rhythm when it mattered. She played cleaner tennis, finishing with just one unforced error to Kyrgios’s six and five faults against his lone double. Back and forth they went, each flashing brilliance, but when the pressure spiked, the former No.13 sealed the deal with calm precision.

The 2025 ‘Battle of the Sexes’ tried to revive the energy of the original 1973 spectacle that made history at Houston’s Astrodome. That’s when Billie Jean King smashed past Bobby Riggs in straight sets, sparking a revolution for women’s tennis and driving equal pay into the spotlight. This time around, the vibe felt different—more showtime than statement, but the crowd ate it up anyway.

The echoes of that match five decades earlier stirred plenty of debate, especially about whether the Dubai event at Coca-Cola Arena truly honored its roots. Critics questioned the point, but both players pushed back.

Nick Kyrgios and Sabalenka speak up against the criticism

After the match, the world No.1 and Australian pro Kyrgios faced questions about the backlash surrounding the Battle of the Sexes exhibition. Aryna Sabalenka stood firm, saying she had no regrets about taking part in the event.

“I honestly don’t understand how people were able to find something negative in this event,” the Belarusian said, as reported by BBC. “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.”

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She added that the event was designed to elevate the sport and offer fans something new. “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,” she explained.

The match drew mixed reactions, with critics arguing it risked trivializing the women’s game. The event was compared to the 1973 original, where Billie Jean King famously beat Bobby Riggs. King said the 2025 version lacked the stakes her match once held. On the other hand, Kyrgios disagreed with the criticism and praised Sabalenka’s performance.

“Let me just remind you that I’m one of 16 people that have ever beaten the ‘Big Four’ — Andy Murray, Novak Djoković, Roger Federer, and Rafa Nadal have all lost to me,” he said. “She just proved she can go out there and compete against someone that’s beaten the greatest of all time. There’s nothing but positive that can be taken away from this.”

“Everyone that was negative watched. That’s the funny thing about it as well, like this has been the most talked about event probably in sport in the last six months if we look at how many interactions we had on social media, in the news,” he added.

For now, the debate is still unsettled. However, Aryna and Nick have mentioned the idea of reuniting for another match. The 2026 season is upon us, and it’s not long before the tour kicks off again.

Do you think we’ll see another match like this? Share your thoughts in the comments below!