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Four-time Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka is all set to take on Nick Kyrgios in the Battle of the Sexes, in what is a biennial exhibition match played between a man and a woman, as the name suggests, or a doubles match between two men and as many women.
This will be the fourth major edition of the exhibition. The most iconic came in 1973, when a televised match at the Houston Astrodome saw 29-year-old Billie Jean King beat 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in straight sets.
Sabalenka will look to follow in the footsteps of her illustrious predecessor by taking on Kyrgios. As the two gear up for a clash for the ages, here is everything you need to know about the upcoming event:
Meet the stars: Battle of the Sexes 2025 line-up
Sabalenka and Kyrgios are all
set to face off in the Battle of the Sexes 2025. The former comes off a stellar WTA season, defending her US Open crown for her fourth Grand Slam title and claiming four titles from nine finals this year.
Sabalenka also ended the season ranked world No. 1 for the second successive year, cementing her status as one of the standout players of her generation.
Kyrgios, meanwhile, played only a handful of matches before taking a break because of ongoing injury problems. After being sidelined for much of the past two years for several surgeries, he started his comeback at the beginning of the year.
Kyrgios has been active in recent weeks, taking part in multiple exhibition events. Before his injury setbacks, he was the Wimbledon runner-up in 2022 and also claimed the Australian Open doubles title that year.
Battle of the Sexes 2025: Format & rules breakdown
Both players will have just one serve per point, with no second serve permitted, putting a premium on accuracy and placement. Initial reports had indicated that only Kyrgios would be affected, but the rule now applies to both competitors.
Sabalenka’s side of the court will be nine per cent smaller to account for the natural difference in speed between men and women. The match will follow a best-of-three sets format, with a 10-point tiebreak if needed to decide the winner.
Battle of the Sexes 2025: Streaming and broadcast details
The Battle of the Sexes between Sabalenka and Kyrgios kicks off at 9:15 PM IST on Sunday, December 28, at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. While the match would not be broadcast on TV in India, fans can catch it live via the SonyLIV app and website.
