Battle of the Sexes ‘brought eyes on tennis’

Aryna Sabalenka defended her ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match against Nick Kyrgios after she opened her 2026 season with a 47-minute victory against Cristina Bucsa.

Women’s world number one Sabalenka lost 6-3 6-3 to Kyrgios in a much-publicised exhibition match in Dubai last month.

Belarusian Sabalenka, a four-time major winner, said it helped her fitness after she swept aside Spain’s Bucsa, ranked 28th in the world, 6-0 6-1 in the second round of the Brisbane International.

“When you play against a guy, the intensity is completely different,” Sabalenka said.

“Especially when there is Nick, who is drop-shotting every other shot, you move a lot, so there was a great fitness for me.”

The match was widely criticised, with Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek saying this week that it did not have “anything to do with social change”, following the original ‘Battle of the Sexes’ between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973.

But Sabalenka said the match “brought so many eyes on tennis”.

“It wasn’t about proving something to anyone. It was able to show that tennis can be really huge,” she said.

“That exhibition, it was fun. It was a great challenge.”

Sabalenka, who received a first-round bye in Brisbane, will face Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in round three.

The Australian Open starts on 18 January.

British number four Katie Boulter started her season with victory over Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva at the ASB Classic in Auckland.

Playing her first match since October – and her first under new coach Michael Joyce – Boulter triumphed 6-3 6-3 in the first round.

Given a main draw wildcard for the WTA 250 tournament, she will face top seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine next.

Boulter missed out on a place in the main draw of the Australian Open after falling out of the world’s top 100.

She is currently the third alternate and, without sufficient withdrawals, will need to win through qualifying at Melbourne Park.

Compatriot Sonay Kartal beat Indonesia’s Janice Tjen 6-1 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 in the first round in Auckland.

World number Kartal 68, who reached the last 16 of Wimbledon in 2025, will play Germany’s Ella Seidel in round two.