Opinion and review by Mathew Carr
In deciding to hold the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ exhibition match, the organisers and decision-makers sitting around the boardroom table almost certainly weighed ratings, public attention, and the potential for controversy.
Human dignity….not so much.
Nick Kyrgios, a brazen Aussie player known for controversial behavior such as losing his temper, easily defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 6-3 in the latest instalment of the informal ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match.
Kyrgios’s side of the court was slightly bigger….see pic ….meaning the game was deliberately rigged against him. Sabalenka could afford to be slightly less accurate in her hits.
Still, he won.
The contest originated from Aussie Kyrgios’s comments during his broadcasting role at the 2025 US Open in September.
While commentating on Sabalenka’s quick quarterfinal win over Zheng Qinwen, he boasted on air that he could beat her without needing to give 100% effort, stating things like “She’s not going to beat me” and that women can’t return men’s serves.
This sparked online banter, leading Sabalenka to respond playfully in interviews and on social media, challenging him to a match—which eventually materialized as today’s Dubai exhibition.
The big wrinkle
Kyrgios in 2023 admitted in court to assaulting his former female partner in 2021. He pushed her and she was injured.
He apologised and showed remorse.
Immediately after his win earlier today (Sunday), he admitted he was not the ideal candidate to play the match. He didn’t say why….yet … I agree.
While we cannot know the event organisers’ and players’ private motives, we can guess them. Money.
The decision to go ahead with the match by a player who previously admitted to pushing and injuring a former partner raises serious ethical questions.
Regardless of Kyrgios’s intent, the optics are troubling: an event framed around gender competition features someone with a documented history of harming a woman, highlighting a media culture where notoriety and spectacle can translate into opportunity, often overshadowing accountability and natural justice.
While no doubt financially lucrative…the decision to hold the event was wrong because it smacks of rewarding the bad behavior that was fully admitted by Kyrgios. Ie his pushing and harming his former girlfriend.
Humans can hold better competitions than this flaccid affair.
Notes
Man Mansplains to Men — 20 Ways Not to be a Dick
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNR61weau/
…also…