"Women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka will take on Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios in a Battle of the Sexes exhibition match in Dubai on December 28, organisers announced on Tuesday. Sabalenka, 27, will face Kyrgios in a modern rendition of tennis icon Billie Jean King's 1973 showdown with fellow American Bobby Riggs, which turned out to be a watershed moment for both tennis and the women's movement."
"I have so much respect for Billie Jean King and what she has done for the women's game, four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka said in a statement. I'm proud to represent women's tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic Battle of the Sexes match. Sabalenka and Kyrgios have teased about the match on numerous occasions in the past few months, with the contest initially slated to be hosted in Hong Kong."
Aryna Sabalenka will face Nick Kyrgios in a Battle of the Sexes exhibition match in Dubai on December 28. The match is framed as a modern rendition of Billie Jean King's 1973 showdown with Bobby Riggs, a watershed moment for tennis and the women's movement that drew about 90 million viewers. Historical precedents include Riggs's earlier win over Margaret Court and Jimmy Connors's 1992 match with Martina Navratilova under modified rules. Sabalenka expressed respect for King and pride in representing women's tennis. Kyrgios, ranked 652 after a long wrist injury layoff, previously claimed he could beat Sabalenka.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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