The upcoming ‘Battle of the Sexes’ showdown between world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has ignited fierce debate, with the Australian now accused of “choosing to represent misogyny” in sharp criticism. Set for December 28 in Dubai, the high-stakes clash has split opinions across the sporting world, even as global anticipation surges. Amid the mounting scrutiny, both stars encountered Piers Morgan Uncensored and offered fresh clarity, adding new layers of intrigue to a match that continues to capture attention.

Nick Kyrgios says he will walk away from the sport if Sabalenka beats him

Sabalenka is known as one of the most powerful competitors in the women’s game. By contrast, Kyrgios is no longer seen as having the mental, emotional, or physical capacity to compete on the ATP Tour. He can still produce moments of brilliance, but the day-to-day demands of men’s professional tennis are beyond him now. 

This exhibition is one of the few places where he can still project the illusion that he is operating at that level. When asked whether losing to Sabalenka would be the most humiliating moment of his life, he responded, “I’ve had some pretty low moments in my career.” [From 3:01]

Kyrgios also spoke about his familiarity with Sabalenka and acknowledged her confidence against any opponent. He noted that she backs herself fully, whether “she’s playing him or whether she’s playing Coco Gauff or anyone.” He made clear that he understands her strengths and the risks they pose.

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He emphasized that he is preparing with full awareness of her power and pressure. “You know, I’m going to go out there and be very wary of her weapons, what she’s able to do,” he said. While reflecting on past challenges, he added, “And look, at the end of the day, I’ve had tough losses, but if I go down, this one might be the one that hangs the rackets up for good.”

Kyrgios pushes for altered rules as Sabalenka addresses criticism surrounding their match

When Kyrgios and Sabalenka take the court for their showdown, the playing dimensions will look noticeably different. Sabalenka’s side of the court will be reduced by 9% in both length and width. In addition, both players will be limited to one serve to reduce Kyrgios’ usual advantage on first-strike points. 

It is worth noting, however, that Sabalenka has one of the biggest serves on either tour. The match will follow a best-of-three format with a 10-point tiebreak played if the score reaches 1-1. When asked about the rule adjustments, Sabalenka spoke first. “Originally, I had two serves, but then he got so stressed. So, he took away my serves.” [From 4:45]

When the microphone shifted to Kyrgios, he followed with his explanation. “Look, we had an initial meeting, and I was very okay with all the rules, and then I saw the rules, and I was like don’t get me wrong like her serve is very good, and it would be better than some males.”

Kyrgios then clarified the imbalance he felt. “So, I feel like if she had two serves and I only had one serve, I would be the underdog. I’m not even joking. Like, it would be tough out there.”

Later in the interview, Piers raised the criticism surrounding the event, including a sharp line from the Guardian, written by Barney Ronay:

“What we have here is a massive opportunity for women’s sport to be belittled, dismissed, and gloated over by ‘incels’ and career misogynists, to blow its own foot off with a single dog-whistle publicity stunt,” Sabalenka responded directly to the concerns. [From 9:30]

She first expressed her own view of the match. “It’s absolutely right that we’re just bringing our sport to the next level, and we’re bringing it to the show.” She made clear that the goal is to elevate tennis, not diminish it.

Sabalenka then expanded on the momentum the event has created. 

“The visibility that this event has garnered in the last couple of months 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.” She added that the match will showcase the sport in a new way while highlighting her own competitive edge. “It’s just going to explore our sport a bit more, and I think that’s our goal, and of course, I want to bring the fight. I want to have fun, and I want to put this guy in an uncomfortable situation over there.”

Sabalenka criticizes the WTA’s decision permitting transgender athletes to compete

By putting a male and female professional player on the same court, the exhibition naturally raised broader questions about physical differences and whether sporting categories should be re-evaluated in an era shaped by gender-identity debates. Sabalenka spoke directly to those concerns. “I think it’s just not fair for a woman to basically face a biological man,” she said. “It’s not fair — the woman has worked her whole life to reach her limit, and then she has to face someone biologically much stronger.” [From 13:29]

Morgan then referenced Martina Navratilova, a former World No. 1 and long-time supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, who has publicly opposed allowing trans women to compete in women’s tennis. Sabalenka agreed with her position. “So for me, I don’t agree with this in sport.” 

Morgan pressed Kyrgios with the same question. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist chose not to expand on the topic. “I feel the exact same way, to be honest. I’ve got nothing to add. She hit the nail on the head.”

Sabalenka discusses her nationality status after losing her Belarusian representation

In recent years, several WTA and ATP players have changed their sporting nationality because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Since 2022, nine Russian players have given up their Russian sporting status, creating a significant shift in the country’s tennis structure. 

Russian and Belarusian players, due to the alliance between their nations, now compete as neutral athletes on both tours and remain barred from the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. This has led many to switch nationalities, including Anastasia Potapova, who joined those already making the move. She followed Kamila Rakhimova and Maria Timofeeva, now representing Uzbekistan, and Daria Kasatkina, who represents Australia.

When Sabalenka was asked whether she would consider doing the same, she responded clearly. “I have always been really proud to represent such a small country, and I take it as you know, I’m an inspiration for the young kids there.” [From 18:50]

She also explained why a change is not an option for her. “Changing my nationality, it’s not the case for me. Because I don’t want to betray all those kids.”

Sabalenka emphasized her commitment to those who look up to her. “So I would like to represent Belarus just for the kids from that country to see me competing on a high level and get inspired by me and and hopefully by my example, I’ll show them that if I was able to make it from that country all the way to the top, I want them to think that they also can do that.”

Sabalenka aligns with Novak Djokovic’s stance on the Jannik Sinner doping controversy

Jannik Sinner tested positive twice for the anabolic agent clostebol in March 2024. However, the World Anti-Doping Agency accepted his explanation that the banned substance entered his body unintentionally through massages from his former physio. WADA stated that Sinner “did not intend to cheat,” and he reached a settlement in February that allowed him to return for the French Open after accepting “partial responsibility.”

And a couple of weeks ago, during an interview with Piers Morgan, Novak Djokovic shared his dissatisfaction with how the matter was handled. He said, “I really don’t like how the case was being handled and you could hear so many other players, both male and female, who had some similar situations coming in, you know, coming out in the media, and complaining that it was a preferable treatment.”

When Morgan asked Sabalenka for her perspective on using Djokovic’s exact comments, she responded firmly. “I believe in clean sport, and I also believe that everyone has to be treated the same.” [From 21:11]

At the same time, she noted that she did not believe there was intentional wrongdoing. She also reflected on how easily an athlete can be exposed to contamination. “I’m really trying to be careful with everything and overprotecting myself after a couple of cases because you know you can eat something in the restaurant and then you test positive, and maybe there was, for example, like I don’t know, I know just a little bit about about Jannik case, but just as an example.”

Sabalenka then stressed the need for equal treatment across all doping cases, pointing to Iga Swiatek’s situation. “Everyone is to be treated the same. Right? There was a similar case with uh with Iga when they just counted her weeks off some somehow like randomly. They’re like, ‘Okay, we count it as like in the China swing, and then you can play the finals (WTA), and then we count, we take a couple of weeks from the next season.’ So I think we should give the same treatment to every player.”

Later in the interview, Piers asked Sabalenka for her thoughts on Serena’s potential return. She shared her perspective clearly. “From what I know, not at all, but if she applied so it means that she’s planning to play something that’s for sure.” [From 27:50]

Rumors about Serena Williams’ comeback emerged after she filed paperwork with the ITIA in September. The filing exempted her from strict whereabouts rules, catching fans’ attention and sparking speculation about a possible return. According to ITIA and WADA regulations, any player wishing to compete again must comply with out-of-competition testing. They must be available for testing for six months before entering an event. Williams’ name appeared on the agency’s testing-pool list dated October 6.

Sabalenka also offered her views on possible events Williams might target. “Maybe I don’t know if the Olympics are too early, but maybe the US Open next year or something. It’s going to be fun to watch.” She acknowledged the excitement and anticipation surrounding the tennis legend’s potential comeback.

This match continues the tradition of Battle of the Sexes contests. The most famous was in 1973 when Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs, a win that helped establish the Women’s Tennis Association. Earlier that year, Riggs had beaten Margaret Court.

The last match of this kind took place in 1992, with Jimmy Connors defeating Martina Navratilova.

Now, with the Aussie and the Belarusian heading into a historic showdown, who do you think will win? Share your thoughts below!