Annabel Croft
Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live

If this is only about entertainment, they are doing that.

They keep saying that they are about bringing eyeballs to the sport. We might see many more different versions of tennis being played. We've seen Tie Break Tens, one point shoot-outs... This is another version of bringing other people to the sport.

I'm a little bit sad there has been so much negativity about it. I might play against a man next week at my club, is that disallowed?

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport tennis news reporter

If any women's player is going to beat Nick Kyrgios, then you would expect it to be Aryna Sabalenka.

The 27-year-old Belarusian won four titles - including the US Open - and reached five other finals in a productive 2025 season.

Sabalenka has been one of the most effective servers this season, sitting in the top five for service games won, and has powerful groundstrokes.

The four-time major singles champion has the ability to hit through opponents, though she is still prone to being erratic from the baseline.

Over the past season, where she won 59 of her 71 matches, Sabalenka has looked to introduce more variety into her game with drop-shots and coming forward to the net.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's how the stats stack up between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios heading into today's match.

It's worth noting that the women's world number one has played 14 times more matches than the Australian this season...

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport tennis news reporter

With his booming first serve, easy power from the baseline and creative shot-making, Nick Kyrgios' talent has never been in doubt.

His temperament has been questioned - as has his fitness in recent years.

Kyrgios missed most of the 2023 season and the entire 2024 campaign with a wrist injury that the Australian's surgeon thought would end his career.

The 30-year-old returned to action at January's Australian Open but has not played an ATP Tour singles match since March because of a knee injury.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Catherine Whitaker, co-host of the Tennis Podcast, believes Sabalenka and Kyrgios' meeting could have a negative impact on the perception of women's sports.

"I see absolutely nothing to be gained for women's tennis - I see only bleakness," she told BBC Sport in November.

"It's a crass commercial venture and a vehicle for one of the most outspoken misogynists in tennis who just wants attention.

"If Sabalenka wins, she beats a man who is unfit and has been a total irrelevance for a number of years. What does she win? Nothing. Unless she wins 6-0 6-0, people will only find ammunition to fire at women's tennis.

"If Kyrgios wins, he and others of the same mind will claim it legitimises everything he's already spewing out. It's disgusting to be giving him a platform.

"I find it utterly ludicrous this is going to be happening in 2025."

Aryna Sabalenka has said her match against Nick Kyrgios will not damage women's sport.

"I am not putting myself at any risk. We're there to have fun and bring great tennis. Whoever wins, wins," she said.

"It's so obvious that the man is biologically stronger than the woman, but it's not about that.

"This event is only going to help bring women's tennis to a higher level."

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport tennis news reporter

Aryna Sabalenka does not seem to be too worried the event will have a negative impact on women's sports. Speaking about the possibility at the US Open, she said it was a "cool idea" and laughed as she pledged to "kick Nick's ass".

While the financial reward and boost to her profile is likely to be significant, many wonder what Sabalenka stands to gain from an on-court perspective - especially if she loses to a man who has not been fit for a long time.

For Kyrgios, he manages to stay relevant despite his continued absence from the tour and firmly in the spotlight which he has consistently shown he loves to be in.

Billie Jean King has said the 'Battle of the Sexes' match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios is "not the same" as her era-defining meeting with Bobby Riggs.

"The only similarity is that one is a boy and one is a girl. That's it," King told BBC Sport.

“Everything else, no. Ours was about social change; culturally, where we were in 1973. This one is not.

"I hope it's a great match - I want Sabalenka, obviously, to win - but it's just not the same."

Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent on BBC One

It's closer to Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua than it is to Billie Jean King against Bobby Riggs.

This is not about social justice.

They want to be deliberately controversial, that's why they are advertising it as 'Battle Of The Sexes.'

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport tennis news reporter

Tennis fans have been divided into two camps since rumblings of this exhibition began at the US Open in September.

Some think it is a bit of harmless entertainment which will successfully attract the eyeballs of a newer, younger audience in the age of social-media content.

Others believe it is a misguided venture - organised by the Evolve agency which the players both share - and sets up an opportunity for women's sport to be belittled if Sabalenka is beaten by Kyrgios.

The fact that Kyrgios pleaded guilty to assaulting an ex-girlfriend in 2023, then later had to distance himself from controversial influencer Andrew Tate in 2024, is a big reason why that camp of people believe this exhibition could unnecessarily fuel sexism and misogyny.

The exhibition match will be the best of three sets, with a 10-point tie-breaker if it goes to a decider.

Each player will only receive one serve - rather than the usual two.

Sabalenka's side of the court will be 9% smaller after tournament organisers Evolve said data showed female players move about 9% slower on average than their male counterparts.

This is what the court will look like...

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport tennis news reporter

Sabalenka and Kyrgios promised there would be a focus on entertainment today - and that's been demonstrated before they have even walked out on court.

The Coca-Cola Arena looked - and sounded - like a nightclub for the hour leading up.

A DJ has been pumping out the EDM tunes in a lenghty set, regularly urging the fans already inside to "make some noise".

Looks to be plenty of young fans in the stands, with a family-friendly atmosphere also featuring a light show generated through a QR code on mobile phones.

Annabel Croft
Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live

This can never be what Billie Jean King vs Bobby Riggs was, that was a huge bit of history back in 1973.

That was about social change, she was trying to get equality for women's prize money.

That was also about getting the tour together so that woman could have a tour and earn a living from playing tennis.

I don't think Sabalenka or Kyrgios would in any way want to try and say it has anything to do with that. In their own words, it's a show, it's entertainment, it's fun.

Amy Lofthouse
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

On 20 September 1973, an estimated 90 million people around the world watched Billie Jean King beat self-proclaimed chauvinist Bobby Riggs in a best-of-five match at the Houston Astrodome.

There was pageantry, pomp and a $100,000 (£74,765) cheque for the winner. It was the second instalment of the Battle of the Sexes - but that name is more than just a marketing slogan.

King's victory over Riggs was a part of the women's rights movement. It had the potential to influence politics and the future of women's tennis.

When Aryna Sabalenka faces Nick Kyrgios, it will be under the banner of the Battle of the Sexes, but the stakes will not be as high as those that faced King 52 years ago.

Read more about King's historic victory

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

The first match took place in 1973 after 55-year-old Bobby Riggs claimed he could still beat any top women's player - describing their game as "inferior".

Riggs, who retired from professional tennis in 1951, made an offer to world number one King to play in an exhibition match - but she declined.

Instead, her Australian rival Margaret Court took up the offer in a year when she won the Australian Open and French Open.

Court took the $20,000 guaranteed payout for playing in the televised match in May 1973. Riggs won the match in straight sets 6-2 6-1 - and it was later dubbed the 'Mother's Day Massacre'.

Riggs was challenged by King shortly after that win and their match was promoted as the first official 'Battle of the Sexes'.

This match has caused quite the stir since it was first announced in November.

To understand why, we have to go back to the original 'Battle of the Sexes' contests to get some context...

BBC One

You can tune into BBC One now to watch four-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka take on 2022 Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios in an exhibition match.

And thank you for joining our live text coverage of the Battle of the Sexes-style event between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios.

The women's world number one versus the men's world number 671.

Over 50 years after the iconic Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs showdown, this controversial exhibition match has already sparked plenty of debate.

We'll take you through all of the key talking points and action as the pair face off in Dubai.

Image source, Getty Images