From Ben Shelton to Billie Jean King: How the tennis world became entrenched in Sabalenka-Kyrgios Battle of the Sexes controversy

Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios will duke it out in the Battle of the Sexes at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Sunday, December 28, 2025. The reception to the latest edition of the man vs woman contest has been polarizing since its announcement.

Fans and critics have displayed their skepticism about the need for yet another Battle of the Sexes. Many noteworthy names from the tennis world have expressed their opinions in recent weeks. Here's a quick look at the same on the eve of Sabalenka and Kyrgios' divisive contest:

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#7. Patrick Mouratoglou

While most people commented on the merits of a Battle of the Sexes showdown in today's age, Serena Williams' ex-coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, had a completely different grouse against it. He claimed that the organizers stole his idea of reviving the format with changed rules. He dropped the bombshell during his appearance on Greg Rusedski's podcast, Off Court with Greg.

"The 'Battle of the Sexes' has existed for 50 years; we all know the story. But to bring it back was my idea. I pitched it to the guys who kind of stole it. So it's fine for this time. They better not do it again. But it's very interesting because I think everybody's wondering what's the level of women compared to men. But it's not a real question because we all know the answer," Mouratoglou said. "[Changing the rules] was my idea, and it’s not a problem. I'll tell you why. I told them what I wanted to do, and they did it. We know that men are stronger, faster, jump higher than women. You look at all the athletics, it's not a question. But what would happen if there was no physical difference? That's an interesting question, and that's the whole point about it," he continued.

Mouratoglou's claims were later backed up by the organizers of the Battle of the Sexes, as verified by Tennis365. During his tenure as Williams' coach, there were talks of her going up against Andy Murray, and later John McEnroe. However, neither of those showdowns materialized in the end.

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#6. Casper Ruud

Casper Ruud at the UTS London 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Casper Ruud was left unimpressed with the slightly different conditions and rules in place for the upcoming Battle of the Sexes. During his interview with Greg Rusedski, he opined that for it to be a real contest the conditions should be the same for both players.

"It's simply entertainment. If you want to have a real Battle of the Sexes, everyone should play on equal terms. If it's not the same court, the same dimensions, and two serves, it's not really the same thing, is it?," Ruud said.

The court size on Aryna Sabalenka's end will be nine percent smaller compared to Nick Kyrgios' size of the court. This was done keeping in mind the movement and speed differences between men and women. Sabalenka was initially the only player to get two serves, though that rule has since been modified and both players will get one serve each.

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#5. Greg Rusedski

Greg Rusedski himself had a few things to say on his podcast after asking his guests their thoughts on the Battle of the Sexes. He labeled it as "gimmicky" on account of the difference in conditions for Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios.

"For it to be a real Battle of the Sexes, the court dimensions have to be the same and it has to be tennis. It could be one set, but it has to be two serves. The court size has to be the same because that's the way tennis is played," Rusedski said. "There are three questions here. Yes you like it, no you don't like it or is it a gimmick... and my opinion is I find it gimmicky."

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#4. Rennae Stubbs

Former pro and Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs was one of the earliest critics of the upcoming Battle of the Sexes. She expressed her thoughts on the same a month ago on her own podcast, The Rennae Stubbs Podcast. She called the whole thing a publicity stunt, and felt that it won't do anything to advance the cause of women's sports.

"The 50 years ago it was important, when it was women trying to fight for equality and women's rights in the United States. That's when it was important. When we had 50,000 or 80,000 plus people in the Metrodome in Houston watching it, and the whole country watching it. No one gives a f**k about what's happening with Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios. I mean, the only reason they're putting this on is because it is literally their company, Evolve, who's their management company, is going, we're going to make a bit of money here. This will be good. Get it on TV. Sell a few tickets. But what is in this for women's tennis?" Stubbs said.

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#3. Ben Shelton

Ben Shelton at the ATP Finals 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Ben Shelton's thoughts weren't centered on the necessity of the Battle of the Sexes. When he was asked about the same, he focused on the outcome of the match. He stated that since he personally witnessed their level during an exhibition event in Atlanta earlier this month, he felt that Aryna Sabalenka could have a shot at victory.

"I was with both of them last weekend and it’s going to be tough for [Kyrgios]. You know, he has a court that I think is, I think, 9% smaller. He only has one serve; she has two. And obviously, she’s the best player in the world right now." "She’s very strong from the baseline. You’re taking away the weapon of his first serve. So I think it’s going to be an interesting match. It’s definitely something I would tune in to," Ben Shelton said in a conversation with Front Office Sports.

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#2. Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King's victory over Bobby Riggs in September 1973 marked a turning point for women's sports. She locked horns with him in the second prominent edition of the Battle of the Sexes. Riggs had beaten Margaret Court a few months prior to his showdown with King.

However, King stepped up when it mattered and created history with her win, which was watched by millions around the world. She certainly had a few things to say about Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios' upcoming contest. During a recent interview with BBC, she didn't mince her words.

"The only similarity is that one is a boy and one is a girl. That’s it. Everything else, no. Ours was about social change, culturally, where we were in 1973. This one is not," King said.

Despite the harsh criticism, King still hoped that Sabalenka would prevail. However, she reiterated that she fought to bring about a change in people's mindset, while that's not the case this time.

"I hope it’s a great match. I want Sabalenka, obviously, to win, but it’s just not the same. Mine was really political. It was rough, culturally, what was coming in with it. I knew I had to beat him for societal change. I had a lot of reasons to win," King added.

King's victory over Riggs set the groundwork for equal pay in tennis. It wasn't until decades later that the Majors started paying men and women the same prize money, and lower-tier tournaments soon followed suit.

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#1. Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios

Despite the constant criticism, Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios have remained upbeat about their impending contest. Neither of them feel that this is going to jeopardize the sport in any way. Both expressed their thoughts when they sat down for a chat with Piers Morgan a few weeks ago.

Kyrgios stated that an event of this magnitude only brings people together, while Sabalenka added this is a great chance to put tennis on the map once again.

"I think it shows unity. Honestly, it really does show unity. I think, you know, people don't know that me and Aryna get along extremely well. We are having fun in doing this together. Like this is something that not many tennis players have ever experienced," Kyrgios said. "We're just bringing our sport to the next level and the visibility that this event got in the last couple of months or so is incredible and we're just going to bring it to the show and we're going to compete and we're going to fight and yeah, it's just going to explore our our sport a bit more," Sabalenka said.

Only time will tell how Sabalenka and Kyrgios' match will be received over the years. Their Battle of the Sexes showdown will commence at 8:00 p.m. local time in Dubai on Sunday, December 28.

Edited by Rohit