Latest 'Battle of the sexes' commodifies and risks mocking historic event

When Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs back in 1973 in the exhibition match famously dubbed the "Battle of the Sexes" it came with a big push for social change.

The 29-year-old King aimed to gain ground for women's rights, particularly women's sports — and did so when she beat 55-year-old former world No.1 Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

The re-do, between 27-year-old world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and 30-year-old semi-retired Australian Nick Kyrgios next week, has been marketed under the same banner.

Yet instead of honouring the era-defining match, or pushing for a similar cause, it risks making a mockery of it entirely as it tries to commodify the moment in history.

The latest man-versus-woman show, set to kickstart the summer of tennis on December 28 in Dubai, as King herself said, bears little resemblance to the first.

"The only similarity is that one is a boy and one is a girl. That's it. Everything else, no," King told BBC Sport.

"Ours was about social change; culturally, where we were in 1973. This one is not."

The pair have done their best to drum up hype. Kyrgios has vowed to easily win, while four-time grand slam champion Sabalenka exclaimed she is ready to "kick ass" and put on a show.

Each repeating lines billing it as harmless entertainment set to attract attention.

And yet there has been little to no support from the wider tennis world, who have widely slammed the spectacle. Many have echoed Australian tennis coach Roger Rasheed's thoughts in being a "lose-lose" situation for women's tennis. 

After the rules were confirmed — best-of-three sets where the court on Sabalenka's side of the net will be shrunk by 9 per cent in both width and length and both players only allowed one serve (limiting the margin of error) — more criticism came.

Six-time grand slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs said the original match had its place in history, but criticised this latest venture as a money grab that would amount to not much more than a joke.

"The only reason they are putting this on is because their management company has gone, 'we're going to make a bit of money here.' But what is in this for women's tennis?," the Australian said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.

"Nick Kyrgios, unless he is really hurt and can't run at all, he is going to win this match easily. It is just a fact.

"Male tennis players, especially someone as good as Nick Kyrgios, even if he is playing at 50 per cent, he is going to win that match … It just doesn't make sense to me. Is Sabalenka going to be serious?"

Sabalenka herself has stated many times that for her, it's about bringing eyeballs to tennis.

"Whoever wins, wins," she told BBC Sport.

"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."

For Kyrgios, it's hard to see the event as anything other than a bid to stay relevant in a scene he's taken a large leave of absence from.

Following his 2022 Wimbledon final, a series of injuries to his knee, back and wrist have kept him mostly absent from the court. 

He lost his first-round match at the Australian Open in straight sets this year, didn't play another grand slam. His only victory in the past three years came in the first round of the Miami Open against USA's Mackenzie McDonald.

After earning a wildcard to the Brisbane International this upcoming season, he's hoping to get a similar entry to the Australian Open and is confident he'll be fit enough to play.

Catherine Whitaker, British sports presenter and commentator, has been one of Kyrgios and the event's strongest critics, calling it a "dog whistle" and "publicity stunt".

"Nick Kyrgios is a man that stands for something and that's not an accident. He is choosing to stand for and represent misogyny," Whitaker said on The Tennis Podcast.

Kyrgios has been outspoken against equal pay for women's players, particularly at grand slams where men play best-of-five compared to best-of-three. In 2023 he had assault charges dismissed by a magistrate after he pleaded guilty to shoving over his ex-girlfriend in 2021.

"This is what Nick Kyrgios will be representing and fighting for in the self-titled 'Battle of the Sexes'," Whitaker said.

"A validation of his belittling of women's tennis and the way he perceives women and women's sport of being lesser purely on the basis of brute power."