More than 50 years ago, Billie Jean King faced Bobby Riggs in a 'Battle of the Sexes' match, attracting a worldwide television audience of 90 million and going down in cultural folklore with the aid of a Hollywood depiction.

Now, another iteration of their era-defining clash has been announced - featuring two of the most recognisable faces among the modern crop in Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios.

Sabalenka, the women's world number one, is set to face Kyrgios, a controversial figure now ranked 652nd after being beset by injuries, in Dubai on 28 December.

BBC Sport analyses why the event is taking place, how it will look different in an attempt for an equal contest and what is at stake for both players.

If any woman is going to beat Kyrgios then the leading player in the world is best placed to do it.

Sabalenka, 27, has been the dominant player on the WTA Tour for the past 18 months, underlining her talent by winning the fourth Grand Slam title of her career at the US Open in September.

Kyrgios, 30, has played only five matches in 2025 as he tries to rebuild his career after a wrist problem threatened to end it.

The exhibition will be the best of three sets, with a 10 point tie-breaker if it goes to a decider.

BBC Sport has learned the court will be modified to level the playing field between the pair.

According to organisers Evolve, data shows women players move about 9% slower on average than men. Therefore, the dimensions of Sabalenka’s side of the court will be 9% smaller.

Each player will only receive one serve - aimed to restrict Kyrgios' power and speed advantage.

Kyrgios, who served at 143mph at Wimbledon in 2019, is the eighth leading ATP player in terms of aces per match over the course of his career.

This year, he has landed 71% of his first serves. Sabalenka has made 62%.

Sabalenka has the second fastest serve on record in the women's game - 133mph in the 2018 WTA Elite Trophy.

Sabalenka has been one of the most effective servers on the WTA Tour this season, sitting in the top five for service games won, and also possesses powerful groundstrokes.

The Belarusian has the ability to hit through her opponents - although is still prone to being erratic from the baseline through double faults and wild returning.

Over the past season, where she has won 59 of her 71 matches and claimed four titles, Sabalenka has also looked to introduce more variety into her game with drop-shots and coming forward to the net.

Going toe-to-toe with Kyrgios from the baseline is unlikely to be productive, so trying to make him move around the court - particularly given his fitness worries - would look to be the smart play.

"I genuinely think that I'm going to win. I'll definitely go out there and I'll try my best to kick his ass," said Sabalenka.

Tennis fans have been divided into two camps since rumblings of this exhibition began at the US Open in September.

Some think it is a bit of harmless entertainment which will successfully attract the eyeballs of a newer, younger audience in the age of social-media content.

Others believe it is a misguided venture and sets up an opportunity for women's tennis to be belittled if Sabalenka loses.

King's victory over former Wimbledon champion Riggs - a self-proclaimed chauvinist aged 55 - was a landmark in the fight for gender equality and laid the path for equal pay at the top of the game.

The latest recreation of this concept, which was confirmed on Tuesday, is the brainchild of the Evolve agency which represents both Sabalenka and Kyrgios.

"This is about respect, rivalry and re-imaging what equality in sport can look like," Evolve co-founder Stuart Duguid, who set up the firm with four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, told BBC Sport.

Organisers are hoping to attract a sell-out 17,000 crowd at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, while plans to stream the action worldwide are said to be advanced and could be confirmed next week.

The match has not been sanctioned by either of the professional tours - the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) - meaning there are no ranking points available.

It is not known if the winner will receive a cash prize, or whether the pair are being given appearance fees or earning a share of the revenue.

"The battle is for pride, curated by progressive innovation," Duguid added.

While the financial reward and boost to her profile is likely to be significant, many wonder what Sabalenka stands to gain from an on-court perspective - especially if she loses to a man who has not been fit for a long time.

For 2022 Wimbledon semi-finalist Kyrgios, he manages to stay relevant despite his continued absence from the ATP Tour and firmly in a spotlight he has consistently shown he loves to be in.

 

Kyrgios reached a career-high ranking of 13th in the world in 2016