Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios are set to take on each other in a 2025 iteration of the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ exhibition match in Dubai on December 28. There have been three other instances of this match, termed ‘Battle of the Sexes’ with the most famous one being tennis icon Billie Jean King taking on fellow American Bobby Riggs in 1973.
Here’s a look at how the Battle of Sexes matches transpired over the years:
Bobby Riggs vs Margaret Court (1973)
The match that started it all. The encounter was when 55-year-old retired tennis player Bobby Riggs, a winner of 6 major titles including 3 Wimbledon triumphs, had proclaimed that the women’s game was much inferior to the men’s. He also said that even at his current age of 55, he could best any top female tennis player.
Riggs had initially challenged Billie Jean King but after she declined, Margaret Court, who was 30 at the time and had recently returned to the sport after giving birth in March 1972, accepted the challenge. Court had been in hot form in 1973 when she won both the Australian and French Opens.
The match was set for May 13 and with over 5000 fans in attendance in California. But there was no fairytale as Riggs demolished Court 6–2, 6–1 in a match that has since been dubbed ‘Mother’s Day Massacre’
Billie Jean King vs Bobby Riggs (1973)
After defeating Court, Riggs would continue his tirade on the female players which prompted King to agree to a $100,000 prize money match with her fellow American. The match was scheduled to take place in the Houston Astrodome of Texas in September.
This match is most iconic encounter in the Battle of the Sexes series which would be considered a shining light in the progress of women’s tennis. King entered the match in a Cleopatra-esque entrance, carried by men while Riggs entered on a rickshaw which was pulled by female models.
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Before the start of the match, Riggs gave King a giant Sugar Daddy lollipop while King gave him a squealing piglet, symbolic for male chauvinism. Riggs would also play the first 3 sets wearing a jacket with Sugar Daddy emblazoned on it before discarding as the match wore on.
Ultimately, in front of a 30,472-strong crowd and 90 million watching from home in the world, King would prevail as he defeated Riggs 6–4, 6–3, 6–3, signaling a new dawn for women’s tennis.
Jimmy Connors vs Martina Navratilova (1992)
The third Battle of the Sexes match, also dubbed the Battle of Champions was between Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova. The match was played under hybrid rules where the 40-year-old Connors was allowed only one serve per point and the 35-year-old Navratilova was allowed to hit into half of the doubles alleys. This match was ultimately won by Connors 7–5, 6–2.
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