Tennis legend Billie Jean King says the upcoming ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios cannot be compared to her own era-defining contest with Bobby Riggs in 1973.
King Says Context Is Different
King beat Riggs in straight sets in a match watched by nearly 90 million people worldwide. It became a cultural landmark and a key moment in the fight for equality in sport.
Speaking to BBC Sport, King said the only similarity between the two events is “one is a boy and one is a girl”.
“Ours was about social change,” she said. “This one is not.”
Conditions Will Be Modified in Dubai
Sabalenka, the world number one, will face Kyrgios on 28 December in Dubai.
The exhibition will be best of three sets with a match tie-break if needed. Organisers say Sabalenka will play on a court 9% smaller, and both players will get only one serve.
King pointed out that her match had no such adjustments: “I played straight up or else I wasn’t going to play.”
Historical Weight Was Massive in 1973
King’s victory came shortly after Riggs had beaten Margaret Court and during a crucial period for women’s sport.
It was the year she founded the WTA, and shortly after the Title IX law reshaped equality in US schools and sports.
“I knew I had to beat him for societal change,” King said.
Sabalenka and Kyrgios Respond
Sabalenka told the BBC this week that the exhibition will not damage women’s sport and that they are “there to have fun and bring great tennis”.
Kyrgios has faced criticism over past behaviour, but King avoided judging the matchup’s impact, saying: “I don’t know. I’ll have to ask her after she plays.”
She added that women’s tennis has never claimed to be “better than men”, but has always emphasised its entertainment value.
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