Billie Jean King Blasts 'Battle of the Sexes' Between Kyrgios-Sabalenka

The upcoming 'Battle of the Sexes' exhibition match between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka has been widely panned by tennis fans and media alike.

Everything from the smaller court to the players involved to a controversial press tour has frustrated fans who are old enough to remember (or at least learn about) the original 'Battle of the Sexes' between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in September 1973.

King defeated Riggs in straight sets: 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Moreover, it was a giant step forward for women's sports, led by an iconic trailblazer. It should come as no surprise that King is not thrilled about the upcoming 'Battle of the Sexes' scheduled for December 28 in Dubai.

"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

King sat down for an interview with the BBC, where she gave a much-needed history lesson. "The only similarity is that one is a boy and one is a girl. That's it. Everything else, no. Ours was about social change; culturally, where we were in 1973. This one is not. I hope it's a great match - I want Sabalenka, obviously, to win - but it's just not the same."

King continued, "I played Bobby three out of five sets, I played on a court and didn't change anything," recalled King. I said, 'Look, I play straight up, or else I'm not going to play. And Bobby loved it."

King concluded, "Mine was really political. It was rough, culturally, what was coming in with it. I knew I had to beat him for societal change. I had a lot of reasons to win."

51 years ago today, Bobby Riggs and I played in the Battle of the Sexes inside the Houston Astrodome, with a global audience of 90M watching.

This was much more than a tennis match.

It was about equality, and it was a catalyst for social change.

There has been tremendous… pic.twitter.com/HJhLnm3fTS
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 20, 2024

The BBC story added important historical context. Such as King's 'Battle of the Sexes' was played the same year she founded the WTA and Title IX legislation in the United States.

King wrote on social media in September 2024, "This was much more than a tennis match. It was about equality, and it was a catalyst for social change. There has been tremendous progress since September 20, 1973, but we are not done yet. Together, let's keep going for it."

King's unmatched resume dates back to winning the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 1967 and becoming the first female athlete ever to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1972.

52 years ago today! #BattleOfTheSexes pic.twitter.com/tWRicuH9X6
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 20, 2025

The 'Battle of the Sexes' match between Sabalenka and Kyrgios will be shown live on the BBC. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

More Tennis News

Four of the five world's highest-paid female athletes in 2025 are tennis players.

Ranking the 25 best players of the 21st century (so far).

Interview: Paula Badosa is energized for the 2026 season.

Jannik Sinner unveils his new racquet for the 2026 season.

Coco Gauff is the new face of Mercedes-Benz.