Nick Kyrgios on Monday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, defeated world No. 1 women’s player Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in an exhibition tennis match billed as the latest “Battle of the Sexes,” which organizers staged as a light-hearted event featuring on-court entertainment and relaxed competition between the two professionals.
Organizers held the match in Dubai as part of a tennis exhibition program that aimed to showcase men’s and women’s talent on the same court and provided fans with an opportunity to watch Kyrgios and Sabalenka compete in a non-tour setting.
The players exchanged jokes, laughed during changeovers and used unconventional shots, including underarm serves, as they entertained spectators and interacted informally with each other and the crowd throughout the two-set contest.
Match officials applied standard tennis scoring and format while allowing a more relaxed atmosphere, which enabled both players to emphasize showmanship over tactical intensity during rallies and service games.
Kyrgios used his serve and variety of shots to control key points, while Sabalenka responded with powerful baseline strokes, as both players displayed elements of their competitive styles despite the exhibition nature of the encounter.
Event staff promoted the match under the historic “Battle of the Sexes” label, a reference to earlier high-profile men-versus-women tennis exhibitions, and scheduled it as a headline attraction to draw spectators and media attention in Dubai.
The exhibition did not award ranking points and did not affect either player’s standing on the ATP or WTA tours, and organizers positioned the match as entertainment within a broader program of tennis-related activities in the city.
Kyrgios, who has limited his competitive appearances on the ATP Tour in recent seasons due to injuries, used the Dubai exhibition to return to a public court setting, while Sabalenka, as the current top-ranked women’s player, participated during a break from official WTA competition.
Security personnel, officials and event staff managed the venue under standard procedures for international tennis exhibitions in Dubai, and organizers reported that the match concluded without incident on or off the court.