Roger Rasheed slams 'battle of the sexes' tennis clash between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka

High-profile Australian tennis coach Roger Rasheed has questioned the value of the upcoming "battle of the sexes"-style exhibition match between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka.

The spectacle, due to take place on December 28 in Dubai, will feature modified rules and has drawn comparisons to the famous 1973 clash between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.

Earlier this week, world number one Sabalenka insisted the match would not damage her career or women's sport in general, but speaking on ABC Sport's Summer Grandstand program, Rasheed said he was "disappointed" the match was going ahead.

"I'm not a fan of it, to be honest," Rasheed said.

"I think it's a lose-lose for the women's side … I actually think it's quite insulting, to be perfectly honest."

Rasheed, who coached Lleyton Hewitt to the Australian Open final in 2005, also questioned how Sabalenka would benefit from the event.

"I don't see where there's one minute, one second of win for the number one player in the world," he said.

"If you are looking after Sabalenka commercially, is this a place where you want to be?"

But speaking to the BBC, which has experienced backlash for committing to broadcasting the match, Sabalenka insisted it was actually a "win-win situation".

"I am not putting myself at any risk. We're there to have fun and bring great tennis. Whoever wins, wins," she said.

"It's so obvious that the man is biologically stronger than the woman, but it's not about that.

"This event is only going to help ‌bring women's tennis to a higher level."

King's 1973 triumph 'about something else'

Rasheed was also quick to dispel any similarities between King's famous 1973 defeat of Riggs and the event set to be held in Dubai.

"The Billie Jean King and Riggs event was different — it was about something else," Rasheed said.

"Billie Jean didn't really want to do that, but she did it for reasons."

King was 29 and women's world number one at the time of the match, and only agreed to play the retired 55-year-old Riggs after he had boasted he could still beat any women's player.

In front of 30,000 people in Houston, Texas, and to an estimated worldwide television audience of 90 million people, King defeated Riggs in straight sets.

Speaking to the BBC earlier this week, King was also quick to point out the differences between the two events.

"Ours was about social change — culturally, where we were in 1973," King said.

"This one is not. I hope it's a great match — I want Sabalenka, obviously, to win — but it's just not the same."