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Billie Jean King has distanced herself from this year’s Battle of the Sexes tennis showdown, insisting hers was about “social change”, while the 2025 edition is “entertainment”.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka will take on Australian Nick Kyrgios in a Battle of the Sexes match in Dubai on 30 December.
King famously beat self-proclaimed chauvinist Bobby Riggs in 1973 in a tennis match watched by an estimated 90m fans.
It was one of a trilogy of matches between men and women, with Riggs beating Margaret Court in the same year before Jimmy Connors toppled Martina Navratilova in 1992.
But King, speaking to City AM after Mercedes-Benz inked a $500m partnership deal with the WTA tennis tour, said this fourth Battle of the Sexes iteration – which will be broadcast free-to-air on the BBC – is “so different for me”, adding that she’s “whatever” about it.
Battle of the Sexes reality
“Mine was really about social change,” the 12-time grand slam champion, who is supporting Sabalenka in the match, continued. “It was real. We had 90m people watch, I didn’t want any [court] size change, we just played straight.
“I don’t think this is the same deal, I think it is entertainment.”
Though the Battle of the Sexes prize money has not been confirmed it is understood to be a healthy purse, with some changes in rules introduced to level the playing field.
Evolve, the agency that represents both players, is behind the Middle Eastern showdown, with the match set to be broadcast on both BBC 1 and iPlayer.
“I think it’s cool idea, you know. I think it’s gonna be spectacular to watch,” Sabalenka said. “It’s going to be fun, especially against someone like Nick.
“Like he said in another interview, that I genuinely think that I’m going to win, and I’ll definitely go out there, and I’ll try my best to kick his ass.”
Asked whether Sabalenka should get a higher cut of the prize money regardless of the Battle of the Sexes result, because she is world No1 with the most at risk, King, co-founder of the WTA, distanced herself from the debate, saying: “It’s really up to the promoter how much they want to pay.”
