Kyrgios defeats Sabalenka in farcical ‘Battle of Sexes’ pantomime
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It was billed as box-office entertainment designed to reach new audiences. In the end, Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios’s highly anticipated “Battle of the Sexes” boiled down to a brand-building exercise which, rather excruciatingly, took pride of place in the BBC’s prime-time Sunday afternoon schedule.
There was, as predicted, zero logic in pitting these two together with modified rules. What was the point of it all? Both players only had one serve, a tweak which heavily favoured the big-hitting Kyrgios and completely threw Sabalenka, who had no reply to the copious amounts of spin the Australian applied to nearly every one of his rockets from the baseline.
Kyrgios, who prevailed 6-3, 6-3 on a slow court with plenty of bounce, was evidently short on match fitness, but at least his shot-making was more accurate than the corporation’s grainy broadcasting feed from Dubai. Those tuning in at home were not only treated to a mismatched court that played tricks on the eyes – Sabalenka’s side was nine per cent smaller to reflect the fact women are slower than men – but intermittent pictures of the action.
During the pair’s tour of the US chat-show circuit promoting the event, Kyrgios had insisted his tennis would do the talking, and it did. Kyrgios stomped around the court with an air of casualness, mixed up his play with slice-heavy forehands that had Sabalenka chasing her own shadow in a battle that had promised entertainment but spectacularly under-delivered.
The whole affair infinitely showcased the Australian, whose involvement had been a point of contention in the build-up given his chequered past, in a better light. The debate over whether the world’s best female player should have shared a court with a man who admitted to assaulting his former girlfriend and has distanced himself from the self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate will rumble on, but there was no hiding from the plain fact that this was a man who overpowered the world’s top female player with relative ease.
Kyrgios, who has played just six tour-level matches in three years after being hampered by injury and off-court controversy, was blowing after 25 minutes. But he had enough guile to outfox the four-time grand slam champion by some distance.
And just when you thought it could not get any more weird, Peter Crouch and Brazilian footballing great Ronaldo were ushered into the Coca-Cola arena, both seemingly late arrivals. That was a sporting pair you probably did not have on your bingo card in 2025.
In losing to a man ranked 671st in the world, has Sabalenka, the world’s top female player, provided more ammunition for some to denigrate women’s sport? She did not seem to think so – but was already plotting her revenge.
“Really enjoyed the show,” she said in her on-court interview afterwards. “Next time when I play him, I already know the tactics, his strengths and weaknesses, and it will be a better match for sure. I love to challenge myself and I’d love to play again.”
She at least usurped her opponent before the match, when both players made their separate entrances inside Dubai’s Coca-Cola arena. While Kyrgios sported his usual pre-match attire of shorts and tracksuit top, Sabalanka announced herself in a sequinned trench coat and danced down the steps towards the court. It was more akin to a boxing ring-walk, which added to the ridiculousness of it all. At least the whole event lasted longer – and was more competitive – than the Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul contest.
ICONIC walkout for the tigress 🐯🎶
Aryna Sabalenka takes the court against Nick Kyrgios for the Battle of the Sexes! pic.twitter.com/LysNCidESU
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) December 28, 2025
There was, though, more farce than a Christmas pantomime as the match wore on. The one-serve rule ultimately neutralised Sabalenka’s one weapon which makes her so lethal in the women’s game (Oh, yes it did!) which deserted her at times.
The 27-year-old is a player who has never been good at hiding her frustration on court and in between the playful camaraderie and gamesmanship the pair shared across the net, she was visibly annoyed at her flurry of faults and mishits.
Just when you were getting your head around the rule changes, Sabalenka called for a 60-second time out – not to chat tactics with her coaching team court side to try to engineer some great victory – but to launch into a rendition of the Macarena for the cameras.
Kyrgios, whose T-shirt was sodden with so much sweat by the end it looked like he had raced the Belarusian in a swimming pool, did the same when he had a match point, but chose to use it as a genuine breather before the pair warmly embraced at the net.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist, who later revealed he had to “strap in for a really hard battle”, has a wild card-entry for next month’s Brisbane International, the main warm-up event for the Australian Open. The 30-year-old has some way to go in terms of match fitness if he is to be a genuine contender on the men’s tour again.
The jury is still out on whether there is a market for other instalments of these boy-versus-girl events in modern-day tennis. But judging by the lopsided nature of this contest in front of an Instagram-worthy audience spangled with celebrities, this was a glorified gimmick on a mismatched court. Were you not entertained?
Then there was the BBC coverage
Multiple ‘apologies for loss of picture’ – probably not Auntie Beeb’s fault – and pundits unsure treading the line over-carefully between praise and condemnation. I am still surprised the BBC got the broadcast rights for such a divisive event.
Why @BBCSport are you sounding so apologetic and cringe about showing the 'battle of the sexes' tennis match between Sabalenka and Kyrgios?
If you think it's a farce, why did you pay for the British rights?
If you think it's proper sport then cut the handwringing— Jon Sopel (@jonsopel) December 28, 2025
Sabalenka and Ronaldo
I assume she got a photograph with Peter Crouch too.
Left with a lot of questions after that
Should there be another Battle of the Sexes? Both Kyrgios and Sabalenka, who are good friends, are positive about a rematch. I do not think there is any sporting need, we would have the same outcome. I still felt Kyrgios was holding something back a little, albeit not much. Ditto for any social need: how exactly has that hour-long match served as a stepping stone for the sport of tennis, as Kyrgios claimed?
If they play again, I would change the service rule and give Sabalenka two serves. I forgot about the modified court after several games, mind, I think it worked.
As for what we learned: Kyrgios always looks languid and effortless in his play. He used angles and trickery, serving accurately, then strode ahead when Sabalenka made a few more errors. But does he have the conditioning and the will to string together a fuller season on the ATP Tour in 2026? She did not lose any face in defeat, although being a part of this match-up was a curious decision on her part.
It was a strange spectacle, bordering on fever dream at times. Ronaldo (R9) delaying play, Peter Crouch munching popcorn, a muted atmosphere, Aryna Sabalenka dancing to the Macarena. Did that all really happen?
‘This is a great stepping stone forward for tennis’: Nick Kyrgios’ post-match thoughts
“Honestly, it was a really tough match. She is a hell of a competitor and such a great champion. I didn’t really know what to expect. She broke my serve numerous times and I had to strap in [and focus] because she was putting the pressure on and hitting some amazing shots. I would love to play her again and showcase her talent and what I also have left in the tank. Ultimately, it was a really hard-fought battle with breaks back and forth.”
I think seeing someone as great as Aryna out here and myself is truly a spectacle. I think this is a great stepping stone forward for the sport of tennis.”
Of course, I was nervous. This was all the world was talking about for the last six months. Not many people would have put their hand up to be in this position. The scoreline was closer than it was, I was under the pump there … from where I was a year, wo years ago, I was sidelined, not even able to use my right hand. So to even get back out here, play and compete with someone as great as Aryna is emotional.”
Considering I took away one of her strengths, her first serve, she is an amazing athlete. When she was moving side to side and hit some shots some of these top men play, the gap really is closer. Honestly, it could have gone either way.”
‘He was struggling’: Aryna Sabalenka’s post-match thoughts
“I feel great, I think I put up a great fight. He was struggling, he got really tight and I am happy to see that. I think it was a great level: I made a lot of great shots, moved to the net a lot. Great serving and drop shots, Nick. I really enjoyed the show. I feel like next time when I play him, I already know the tactics, his strengths and weaknesses. It is going to be a better match for sure. I love to challenge myself, I would love to play again.
The court is different, I had to do a couple of adjustments. Obvously, playing against a guy is completely different tennis, everything much faster. It was great fitness for me today. After this match, I am pretty much ready for the season.
[On the entrance] It was mine and my team’s idea, I think it was quite fun, I like to do crazy stuff. I wish we could do it more often during the season. It’s a lot of fun, isn’ it?”
Guileful Kyrgios prevails
The players exchange a hug at the net. Nick Kyrgios was the favourite to win this ‘Battle of the Sexes’ and he did not slip up.
Sabalenka made too many errors at both set mid-points and the match got away with her. Plus, the Australian had natural power over her and managed the game well. He mixed up his shots, took away some of her time and aggression, even though we saw plenty of moments where the Belarusian held her own and even outplayed him.
Nick Kyrgios beats Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3
Game, set and match Kyrgios. He wins the “Battle of the Sexes”.
Kyrgios reminds everyone of his power with a booming serve to open the game then brings up match point as Sabalenka shanks a return.
But what fight. After his opponent hits a clean backhand winner, the Australian uses his 60-second time-out. Staying Alive comes out on the PA and Sabalenka does for a minute or two, shifting Kyrgios around, finding the deuce court corner and forcing the error.
He brings up another match point at the net, hitting down the line as Sabalenka moves the other way. And she saves it! A ferocious forehand right back at the server, then a pin-point unplayable backhand volley from the net. Kyrgios smiles ruefully.
At last, Sabalenka nets a backhand and bellows in frustration, then misses a return from a very wide serve.
Sabalenka* 3-6, 3-5 Kyrgios
The errors are creeping back in for Sabalenka at the wrong time. She sends a very gettable forehand down the line well wide to bring up 15-30 and, having gotten Kyrgios on the run, plays an errant backhand.
Kyrgios sprays wide. 30-40. Sabalenka finds a sizzling, deep serve into the box to force another error.
After a fortuitous net cord return which drops in and fast, Kyrgios exclaims: “I didn’t do it on purpose, I’m sorry!” Kyrgios breaks and is a game away from victory after Sabalenka sends a backhand miles over the base-line.
Supreme game management from the Australian. He has always felt in control, as he should be.
Sabalenka 3-6, 3-4 Kyrgios*
A Kyrgios backhand clips the net cord and falls back onto his own side for 15-30, but Sabalenka returns the next serve meekly into the net. It ends up being an easy hold after a couple more unforced errors from the female player.
She is having to return higher than she is used to and she is surely not used to such trickery on court.
Meanwhile, the camera focuses on Ronaldo, sat in the stands, captioned soberly as “former footballer, Brazil”. One of the greatest, more like. Then Peter Crouch, who is not afforded a caption.
Sabalenka* 3-6, 3-3 Kyrgios
Note: world No 18 Karen Khachanov is sat behind Aryna Sabalenka’s chair. The Russian player is offering advice during changeovers.
Not that it could help greatly there. After a belting forehand into the deuce court, Sabalenka misses a serve down the T and it is 15-40. She saves a break point by moving Kyrgios around then wafting a backhand deep into space but Kyrgios breaks back, capitalising on a narrow miss just wide of the line.
He stepped up his game slightly at this point in the first set. Will the same happen again?
Sabalenka 3-6, 3-2 Kyrgios*
Kyrgios dumps an under-arm serve into the net and then draws Sabalenka to the net, allowing her to fire it past him. He turns serious again to make it 30-30.
Aryna Sabalenka requests a 60-second time-out, another of the odd rule distinctions for this match. And she uses it… to dance the Macarena for the camera, as it comes on the arena PA. Not a sentence I thought I would ever write during a tennis match.
Sabalenka brings up deuce by finding the corner, but Kyrgios sees out the game with a peach of a backhand down the line while stretching.
Sabalenka* 3-6, 3-1 Kyrgios
Sabalenka wrong-foots Kyrgios with a gorgeous forehand to bring up 15. However, under pressure, Sabalenka saves two break points, the second with a pinpoint serve down the T. Even less margin for error without a second serve.
Kyrgios is mainly playing with a lot of control and spin, not over-extending himself. He still has the power advantage and the poise, showing it off with a well-taken forehand to bring up advantage. Sabalenka shows off her heavy artillery with a howitzer backhand, which Kyrgios reach.
From deuce, Sabalenka holds impressively, though Kyrgios’ attacking forehand is a spider’s eyebrow from clipping the line. He has a few words for the umpire. One of the best and longest games of this contest concludes.
Sabalenka 3-6, 2-1 Kyrigos*
“Junk tennis” on show from the male player. Wickedly-sliced forehands, a ton of drop shots, switches of pace. Or maybe that is just regular Kyrgios. He has a thousand tricks up his sleeve.
And it does not work. He goes 0-30 by hitting into the net then beats her with an inside-out forehand.
… The BBC loses pictures again for the second time in five minutes. Sabalenka breaks Kyrgios, though I am not sure how it happened.
Sabalenka* 3-6, 1-1 Kyrgios
A straightforward hold for Sabalenka, racing to 40-0 up. Kyrgios slips as he pursues a drop-shot and cannot get the ball over the net. The duo smile at each other and share a few words at the net.
That is more like it. She has to move Kyrgios around as much as possible to stand a chance.
Sabalenka’s serving profligacy
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Easy to write, but Sabalenka needs to be more zen on her serves. There’s been a number of times when she’s opted for power at the expense of accuracy and it’s really proving costly in this opening set despite looking the fitter, more conditioned player. Advantage Kyrgios.
Sabalenka 3-6, 0-1 Kyrgios*
Kyrgios gets to 30-0 on serve but telegraphs an under-arm serve, which Sabalenka gleefully dispatches into open court, and then whacks one into the net to make the game more competitive. I still feel like he is not unleashing his full game here
Sabalenka brings up deuce with a ridiculous sliced forehand which kisses the line after Kyrgios sends her running towards the front row with a volley. He can only applaud that.
Kyrgios holds with some exhibition-worthy play, faking a volley before playing a drop shot.
Sabalenka* 3-6 Kyrgios
Kyrgios is playing sensibly, prioriting accuracy over all-out attack and letting Sabalenka make the errors.
Another return goes long from her to make it 0-40. Three set points. He misses on the first and Sabalenka somehow makes a stretching, booming forehand down the line. Kyrgios can only watch, smiling in disbelief afterwards. Shot of the match, maybe.
But returning a Kyrgios drop shot with her own attempt, Sabalenka nets. Nick Kyrgios breaks and wins the first set 6-3.
Sabalenka 3-5 Kyrgios*
An under-arm serve completes a speedy hold to love for Kyrgios. He may well have an extra gear or two he can go into, if needed.
Sabalenka* 3-4 Kyrgios
The 27-year-old is moving better than her opponent, throwing in slower balls. The duo exchange a smile as the world No 1 gets a very fortuitous dead drop over a net cord to make it 40-15.
But three faults cost her dear, bringing up deuce without Kyrgios having to hit a winner. She goes long on a return and his into the net to gift Kyrgios the game.
There is a pause as Original Ronaldo (R9) is announced in the Coca-Cola Arena. Peter Crouch seems to be there too! “Take your seats, please,” says the umpire to the Brazilian great.
Sabalenka hanging in there, despite the faults
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Sabalenka was visibly frustrated after twice messing up her own serve (nearly wrote double fault there) but she’s done well to pull a game back. As predicted, the tweaked rule already seems to be favouring Kyrgios, who is stretching Sabalenka across the court to great effect and is pinging some pretty accurate shots from the baseline. It looks as if he’s been practising on a smaller court?
Sabalenka 3-3 Kyrgios*
Well, who is the more powerful one? Sabalenka wallops a forehand past him to make it 0-30 and then brings up three break points as Kyrgios hits into the net. What a hit.
He saves two, the second as the Belarusian goes all-out for a cross-court, angled winner, missing by a few winners.
But Sabalenka breaks back on the third. She gets a bit lucky, shanking a shot high into the corner, but it lands in. Rather than going for the kill, Kyrgios plays a tame shot back and she takes full advantage down the line. We have a match here. (Well, an exhibition).
Sabalenka* 2-3 Kyrgios
A few extra errors make the difference. At 15-30, Sabalenka has Kyrgios on the run around and most of the court to aim for, but she fires into the net when going down the line. She saves one of the break points with a sliced backhand which pushes her opponent out too wide to make his belted forehand down the line. “Great shot,” he says.
Kyrgios shakes his head and smiles. He appears to be feeling the pace a little. They exchange a few words.
However, he breaks again as Sabalenka sends the ball long beyond the base-line.
Sabalenka 2-2 Kyrgios*
Kyrgios’ turn to gift a point with a wayward serve. Sabalenka is playing aggressively, coming to the net regularly. She brings up 15-30. Pulling Kyrgios out of position, she hits another into the net.
Then, Kyrgios hits the net cord with a serve and it bobbles onto his own side. 30-40, a first break point then saved by a deft volley after serving out wide. There are laughs and smiles as Sabalenka gently bats it back at him after failing to make it. This needed something to diffuse the tension, it is an exhibition after all.
A poor drop shot form the world No 671 brings up another opportunity and Sabalenka breaks back, giving him a taste of his own medicine with a sliced dropper that he cannot quite get over the net.
Sabalenka* 1-2 Kyrgios
Sabalenka goes 0-30 down after a second fault (I am doing my best to not call it a double fault), then Kyrgios finds the line with a booming forehand to bring up three break points.
He only needs one as the Belarusian goes long. Kyrgios breaks Sabalenka. With only one serve, there is no room for error. Right now, the tweaked rule seems to be benefitting Kyrgios more than his opponent.
Sabalenka 1-1 Kyrgios*
An easy hold for Kyrgios, mixing it up with spin and speed to go 30-0 up quickly. With Sabalenka going one way, he sends her the other while at the net. Not the quickest court, this.
First set: Aryna Sabalenka* 1-0 Nick Kyrgios (*denotes server)
Sabalenka duffs one into the net to start off with, but shows her quality on the next points. The pick of the first game is finding the very corner of the deuce court pinpoint, but then a fault – bear in mind, there is only one serve, not two – brings up 30-30. That will take some gettin used to.
It is quite a contrast: Kyrgios silent, with a visibly smaller court to aim into, Sabalenka roaring as she hits every ball and moving him around decently.
Sabalenka fires down a rapid serve, comes to the net and forces the error from Kyrgios. That will settle her nerves. An ideal start.
Sabalenka shows up Kyrgios before the match has even started
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Well, she didn’t exactly gee up the crowd inside the Coca-Cola Arena but Sabalenka certainly showed Kyrgios up with that player entrance (ring walk?) in that sequined trench coat. Not sure about the dancing, though.
The pressure is on Kyrgios
The duo are on court at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, warming up. It has just gone 8pm local time. Kyrgios rarely shows any signs of pressure, whatever the tournament. But he would not like to lose this one. “If I go down, this might be the one where I hang the rackets up for good,” he has said.
Getting to grips with the different court dimensions might take a little time too. The court Kyrgios is aiming into is three and a half feet shorter and 2.4ft narrower.
Show-woman Sabalenka walks on court in a sparkly grey coat
After a more conventional walk-on for Kyrgios through the tunnel, Sabalenka enters the court from the stands, smiling and picking up her mascot as she meets her opponent at the net, while Eye of the Tiger plays in the background. Big boxing vibes. She is bringing the spectacle.
Sabalenka’s pre-match thoughts on the BBC: “I’m excited, it is a great challenge for me. I think I am not putting myself at any risk, we are there to have fun, play great tennis. Whoever wins, wins, I don’t think I am damaging this fight for equal prize money and for bringing women’s sport to another level.
“Because it is not going to be an easy match for him, I am just going to be there competing and showing women are strong and powerful.”
Entertainment over social impact
In contrast, this match between Sabalenka and Kyrgios has nothing to do with social change or making a statement for women or women’s spot
As pundit Annabel Croft just said on the BBC: “We cannot say that there is any of that surrounding this match today. Neither of them want to be even brought into that conversation, I think. They have made it very clear that this is entertainment, it is a challenge, it is about show. Let’s sit back and enjoy this show.”
Billie Jean King: ‘The only similarity is one is a boy, one is a girl’
The tennis great looks back to the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes”. It was a different world and her match against Bobby Riggs had so much more riding on it.
"Our's was about social change." 🎾
Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in straight sets back in 1973, in a landmark Battle of the Sexes win for a push for equality in sport. pic.twitter.com/e1SuA5BYLg
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 11, 2025
The different rules today
- Sabalenka and Kyrgios will play on a modified court. Based on data from the players’ sports agency Evolve about average movement and speed which suggests women are nine per cent slower, Sabalenka’s side of the court will accordingly be nine per cent smaller. It promises to look quirky.
- There is only one serve, not two serves, as is normal. That could take away some impact of the Australian’s strength.
- It is a best-of-three set match. There will be a 10-point deciding tie-break in each set if required. If the match goes all the way, it will also decide the winner.
Sabalenka is on the way to becoming a tennis legend
Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka can sometimes let her emotions take control too: she smashed her racket after beating beaten by Madison Keys in the Australian Open final in January.
But she is simply the powerhouse of women’s tennis, occupying the world No 1 spot for the entire calendar year. She has ironed out serving inconsistencies, curbed the effect of unhelpful emotions, serves aces as easily as McDonald’s plate up breakfast and has an incredible knack for winning tie-breaks.
Carrying a few extra kilos, Kyrgios ought to be worried.
Who is Nick Kyrgios?
Whoever he decides to be when he gets out of bed, essentially. Blessed with an immense talent for tennis, Kyrgios can be unplayably good, histrionic, volatile, self-destructive, stubborn, entertaining, prickly, disgruntled and a provocateur – sometimes all within one match. He is one of the fastest servers in the sport but has played sporadically over the last three years, suffering with wrist and knee problems.
The 30-year-old enfant terrible made the final of Wimbledon in 2022 and rose as high as No 13 in the world, all while playing up to his villain role. He has had mental health issues and suffered with self-harm too. Complex does not come close to summing up Kyrgios.
Rennae Stubbs: ‘What is in this for women’s tennis?’
Australian Rennae Stubbs, a former grand slam doubles champion, has been among a sizeable cohort of past players to criticise the event. “What’s in this for women’s tennis? If Sabalenka wins, she beats a man who is unfit and has been a total irrelevance for a number of years,” she said. “If Kyrgios wins, he and others of the same mind will claim it legitimises everything he’s already spewing out.” That, though, has not stopped the BBC from continuing its association with Kyrgios by broadcasting the event.
Sabalenka is convinced the exhibition match will advance the cause of women’s tennis, the same message parroted by Stuart Duguid, founder of sports management agency Evolve who, rather conveniently, acts as the agent for both players. “This is about respect, rivalry and reimagining what equality in sport can look like,” Duguid said last month. But when you consider the lopsided parameters in which the game will be played, such words lack substance.
Find out what Telegraph Sport’s Fiona Tomas makes of this match by reading her opinion piece in full here.
Why is this match even happening?
In September at the US Open, Kyrgios made the cheeky claim that he could beat Sabalenka and that he would not “need to try 100 per cent”. The Belarusian responded that she would “kick his ass”.
Despite how it might sound, the pair are good friends and moving it from an attention-grabbing pipe-dream to reality was principally down to sharing the same agent, Evolve founder Stuart Duguid. Whatever the result on court this afternoon, none of those parties will be going home with empty pockets.
Preview: Sabalenka faces Kyrgios in controversial ‘Battle of the Sexes’
Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition tennis match between women’s world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios, the bad boy of the sport who has tumbled down the rankings in recent years.
This ‘Battle of the Sexes’ follows in the trainer steps of the ground-breaking 1973 match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. The tennis legend beat 55-year-old Riggs in straight sets and Sabalenka suggests that today’s contest can “bring women’s tennis to a higher level”.
Well, it is tennis but not (quite) as we know it, Jim. Based on data from the players’ sports agency Evolve about average movement and speed which suggests women are nine per cent slower, Sabalenka’s side of the court will accordingly be nine per cent smaller.
Each player will only have one serve rather than two, in an attempt to negate Kyrgios’s superior power. (Although frankly, Sabalenka is capable of serving 120mph rockets too). In this best-of-three contest, a 10-point tiebreaker will decide the winner if Kyrgios and Sabalenka goes to three sets.
“I genuinely think that I’m going to win. I’ll definitely go out there and I’ll try my best to kick his ass,” Sabalenka said in September ahead of the match-up. The bookmakers do not agree and have her down as the outsider.
While men possess a biological advantage over women, Sabalenka has all the form and match fitness. The US Open champion has made three Grand Slam finals and won 59 times this season. In contrast, injury-wracked world No 671 Nick Kyrgios, has only played five games this year and his last ATP-recognised singles match was in March.
There is no denying his natural talent on the court. But off it, the 30-year-old has been accused of domestic violence and has had to publicly distance himself from Andrew Tate after sharing one of his social media posts.
There have been plenty of jeremiads about this clash. It has variously been called charmless, belittling to women’s sport, nonsensical, a PR gimmick, toxic, entertainment masquerading as sport, an own goal for Sabalenka. Given the divisive discourse, I am surprised that the BBC have opted to broadcast it live.
But you know how the internet is: the stoked negativity and rage will probably fuel more attention.
Let us see whether an engaging, competitive tennis match can break out after the contentiousness. Play starts on the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai at 4pm GMT.
