EXPLAINER

In a revamp of the 1973 mixed singles match, Aryna Sabalenka will play Nick Kyrgios on Sunday in Dubai.

Who: Aryna Sabalenka vs Nick Kyrgios
What: “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition tennis match
Where: Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
When: Sunday at 7.45pm (15:45 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka will take on Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios in a “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition tennis match in Dubai on Sunday.

Sabalenka, 27, will face the 30-year-old former Wimbledon finalist in a modern rendition of tennis icon Billie Jean King’s 1973 showdown with fellow American Bobby Riggs, which turned out to be a watershed moment for both tennis and the women’s movement.

Here is all to know before their much anticipated showdown:

How did the Sabalenka-Kyrgios match come about?

Kyrgios, who was ranked as high as 13 in the world in men’s singles, threw down the gauntlet to Sabalenka during the US Open in September, saying in an interview he would easily dispatch the Belarusian without having to try “100 percent to win”.

He said women cannot return professional men’s serves and claimed he would defeat the world’s top-ranked female player.

Sabalenka responded by saying she was ready to “kick a**”, which eventually led to Evolve, the marketing agency that represents both players, organising this weekend’s matchup.

What’s the history behind the ‘Battle of the Sexes’?

The original “Battle of the Sexes” took place in 1973 between King, then 29, and Riggs, 55, at the Houston Astrodome.

King, a 12-time singles Grand Slam champion, made history when she defeated the former men’s world number one amateur player 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in a matchup that drew an estimated 90 million TV viewers worldwide.

King’s straight-sets victory was considered a pivotal moment for women’s sport at the time and solidified her status as a sports and feminist icon of her generation.

What are the rules for ‘Battle of the Sexes’?

Sabalenka, speaking on the Piers Morgan Uncensored YouTube show on December 9, said it would be “really tough” to compete against a male player of Kyrgios’s standard using a full court and standard rules.

As a result, there are several rule modifications for this match:

• The players will be limited to just one serve instead of two.
• Sabalenka’s side of the court will be 9 percent smaller than a normal tennis court.
• It will be a best-of-three-sets contest – with a 10-point tiebreaker in the final set if required.

What has Sabalenka said about the match?

“I’m proud to represent women’s tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic Battle of the Sexes match,” Sabalenka said in a news release.

“Dubai is my home, and I know this city loves big, entertaining events. I have a lot of respect for Nick and his talent, but make no mistake, I’m ready to bring my A-game.”

What has Kyrgios said about the match?

Kyrgios said he’ll defeat the four-time Grand Slam champion without having to try hard.

“I think she’s the type of player who genuinely thinks she’s going to win,” Kyrgios said.

“She is not gonna beat me. Do you really think I have to try 100 percent? I’m gonna try because I’m representing the men’s side. I’d say like 6-2 maybe.”

“I think I’m going to be OK. I’m going to go there, and I don’t want her to win. That’s for sure,” he added.

Is oft-injured Kyrgios planning a return to professional tennis?

Kyrgios will compete at ‍next month’s ‍Brisbane International after receiving a wildcard entry, organisers said on Sunday, as he works towards a potential ​return to the 2026 Australian Open.

His career has been ravaged by injury over the past couple of ‍years, and ⁠he played only five singles matches in 2025, the most recent at the Miami Open in March.

Kyrgios, the 2018 Brisbane champion, is now ranked ​673rd in the ‌world with no protected ranking and will also need a wildcard to compete at Melbourne ‌Park.

How to watch the ‘Battle of the Sexes’

The match is being broadcast live and free in the United Kingdom on BBC 1 and streamed on BBC iPlayer.

Please check local guides for access in other countries.

Al Jazeera will provide live text commentary of the match.