Aryna Sabalenka has said she can beat Nick Kyrgios when they play against each other next January, even promising to “kick his ass”.
The Belarusian, who has just made it through to the US Open where she is defending her title, will face the tennis bad boy in a match that will mimic one of the most famous showdowns in the sport’s history – Billie Jean King’s 1973 victory over Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome.
Sabalenka said the match with Kyrgios, expected to take place before the Australian Open in January, was a “good idea” and will be “spectacular to watch”.
“It’s going to be fun, especially against someone like Nick. Like he said in another interview, that I genuinely think that I’m going to win, and I’ll definitely go out there, and I’ll try my best to kick his ass (laughter),” she said.
She was responding to Kyrgios, who, earlier in the week, indulged in some tennis trash talk when he claimed he would not have to play at 100 per cent to beat the women’s world number one.
Sabalenka, 27, has won three grand slams and also reached three Wimbledon semi-finals. Kyrgios, 30, has won no majors and reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, where he lost in four sets.
It has been reported that the pair could play in Hong Kong in January, just before the Australian Open, but Sabalenka said the time and location of the eagerly anticipated contest have not yet been confirmed.
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“Definitely if we’re going to bring it, we’re going to bring it to somewhere where it’s going to be a lot of people watching, and we’re gonna put a lot of pressure on Nick.”
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Speaking on the ‘Tea with Bublik podcast’, with fellow player Alexander Bublik earlier this week, Kyrgios said that “Sabalenka is awesome, she’s such a character”.
“I think she’s the type of player who genuinely believes she’s going to win,” he added.
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Sabalenka secured her place in the US Open final with a commanding victory over Jessica Pegula in the 2025 US Open semi-finals.
The match will be a modern-day replay of the legendary clash between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, 52 years ago
King, 29, triumphed over the 55-year-old Riggs with a straight-sets victory of 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, and won $100,000.
Prior to that, Riggs had defeated Margaret Court, who was the world’s top-ranked female player at the time.
