Billie Jean King Says Sabalenka–Kyrgios ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Can’t Compare to Her Historic 1973 Showdown
Tennis icon Billie Jean King says the upcoming ‘Battle of the Sexes’ clash between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios cannot be compared to her historic 1973 match against Bobby Riggs.
King, who defeated Riggs 6-4 6-3 6-3 in a widely watched best-of-five showdown that became a landmark moment for women’s rights and equality in sport, insists the new event lacks the cultural significance of her era.
Speaking to BBC Sport, King said:
“The only similarity is that one is a boy and one is a girl. That’s it.
Ours was about social change. This one is not.”
World number one Sabalenka, 27, will face Kyrgios, 30, in Dubai on 28 December in a three-set exhibition labelled under the same banner. The match will include modified rules — each player gets one serve, and Sabalenka’s court will be 9% smaller, based on data showing women move slightly slower than men.
While some see the contest as light entertainment, others worry it could undermine women’s tennis if Sabalenka loses.
King emphasised the difference from her own match, recalling that she insisted on equal conditions:
“I played straight up or I wouldn’t play. Bobby loved it.”
Her original ‘Battle of the Sexes’ came during a pivotal period — shortly after Riggs beat Margaret Court, the founding of the WTA, and the introduction of Title IX in the U.S.
King says her match had real political weight:
“I knew I had to beat him for societal change.”
Sabalenka, however, believes the Dubai event will not harm the women’s game, saying she and Kyrgios are simply aiming to “have fun and bring great tennis.”
Kyrgios’ involvement has drawn scrutiny given his past misconduct, including admitting to assaulting an ex-girlfriend in 2021 and previously sharing content from Andrew Tate.
Asked whether the exhibition could diminish women’s tennis, King replied:
“We’ve never said we’re better than men. We focus on entertainment value — sometimes a women’s match is better, sometimes a men’s. But we’ve never claimed superiority.”