Wimbledon 2022 finalist Nick Kyrgios spoke about his preparations for the highly anticipated `Battle of the Sexes` exhibition match against Aryna Sabalenka, scheduled to take place tomorrow in Dubai.
The match features unique rules designed to create competitive balance: both players will receive one free serve (a do-over), and the court dimensions for Sabalenka will be reduced by 9% in both length and width.
Kyrgios mentioned working with his team to adjust to the unconventional setup.
“My coach and best friend and I have been making minor adjustments at home. We’re trying to adapt to the court dimensions. It`s going to be interesting; I`m eager to see the court and its size,” Kyrgios stated during a joint press conference.
The Australian admitted to some pre-match mind games with his opponent. “I know she is trying to psych me out, and it`s working, although I`m doing the same to her.”
He offered his assessment of the special rules, noting the advantage the free serve provides him. “The idea of fair court sizes is excellent, but having that one free serve is a huge benefit for me. Serving is my strong point.”
Kyrgios also stressed the importance of the event for fostering unity between men`s and women`s tennis.
“In 10 or 15 years, I will be proud of how this all went down. In my opinion, this is a true symbol of unity in sport. We need events like this. Currently, there is too much conflict and too little collaboration. Regardless of the result, this shows that together we can achieve magnificent things in sport.”
