Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Nick Kyrgios, Tennis, US Open
Ben McCrum
Tennis star Nick Kyrgios has responded to world number one Aryna Sabalenka claiming that she will try to 'kick his ass' in their upcoming Battle of the Sexes match.
After a long spell on the sidelines with injury issues, popular tennis player Kyrgios is set to return to the court in the near future.
The Australian has missed Wimbledon, the French Open and the ongoing US Open this year, depriving him of the chance to claiming the first major title of his career in 2025.
However, it is not a major tournament that is expected to be the event that sees Kyrgios back in action, as he could instead return for a highly-anticipated Battle of the Sexes match against women's world number one Sabalenka later this year.
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And after the Belarusian tennis player called out her future opponent during a press conference at the US Open, Kyrgios has responded adding further fuel to the fiery clash.
Discussions surrounding a match between Kyrgios and Sabalenka started in July, after the Australian talked up the possibility of facing Sabalenka, who is part of the same agency, claiming they had been "thinking about doing it later in the year in Hong Kong".
Although there is still no official announcement of a date for the match, it is rumoured that it will now take place in January 2026, prompting journalists to ask Sabalenka about the match following her US Open semi-final win over Jessica Pegula.
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“I’ll definitely go out there and try my best to kick his ass,” said the 2024 US Open champion during the press conference in New York.
“I think it’s a cool idea. It’s going to be spectacular to watch. It’s going to be fun, especially against someone like Nick. Like he said in another interview, I genuinely think I’m going to win,” the Belarusian added.
Sabalenka's comments about the match quickly went viral online, prompting a response from Kyrgios who also didn't hold back, writing on X: "ALRIGHT NO PRISONERS"
In a recent podcast with fellow player Alexander Bublik, Kyrgios revealed that he expects to win the match 6-2, confirming that the pair will play eight-minute quarters, with the first to reach three being named the winner.
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Prior to Krygios v Sabalenko, there has been three official matches labelled as the 'Battle of the Sexes', with the last being in 1992.
The first took place on May 13, 1973, as six-time major winner Bobby Riggs, faced Margaret Court, a 24-time major winner, after she was offered $20,000 having only recently returned to the court after giving birth.
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Riggs comfortably won the match 6-2, 6-1 before losing to Billie Jean King later that year in a a famous 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 match in Houston.
Nineteen years later, the third ‘Battle of the Sexes’ took place between Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova in Las Vegas, with the former prevailing 7-6, 6-2.
Other than the three official Battle of the Sexes, there have seven other matches that have taken place between male and female players, with the most recent being Yanis Ghazouani Durand's win over Mirra Andreeva in December 2023.