Nick Kyrgios: Feeling pressure ahead of ‘Battle of the Sexes’

SYDNEY — As confident as he is about defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the so-called “Battle of the Sexes” next month, Nick Kyrgios admits to feeling a bit of pressure.

Top-ranked Sabalenka and 2022 Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios earlier this week confirmed the date and venue — Dec. 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates — for the tennis exhibition.

“I was in Hong Kong recently and a lot of the male players were like, ‘Look, you’re representing all of us.’ So here I am in the firing line again,” Kyrgios told Australian Associated Press on Friday. “I’m not a stranger to taking the heat from the media, but I’m excited whatever the result may be.

“I’m going to go out there and show the world that as good as she is, she’s got some weaknesses.”

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The “Battle of the Sexes” name was borrowed from the 1973 match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs — which King won in straight sets in the Houston Astrodome.

Kyrgios, who has played only six tour-level matches in the last three years because of wrist and knee injuries, said he’d be hitting toward a smaller side of the court — almost 10% smaller than what Sabalenka will be aiming at — giving him less room to hit winners.

Both players are set to feature earlier in an exhibition in New York on Dec. 8 but not against each other: Sabalenka will play Naomi Osaka and Kyrgios will face Tommy Paul.

Kyrgios said he’d be giving Sabalenka full respect.

“Obviously you’ve got one potentially, I think, one of the greatest of all time women’s players and she’s not even almost close to scratching the surface of what she can achieve,” he told AAP. “I think she wins multiple more Grand Slams.

“She’s honestly been talking a little bit more about this match than I have, but I’m ready to take the challenge. I’m going to go out there and, in all honesty, it’s a lot of pressure for me, too.”

Having said all that, and acknowledging Sabalenka would have most of the crowd on her side, Kyrgios did refer to a career CV that places him in a rare group of players to have beaten all of the so-called Big Four: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. He was only the second player to win his first meeting with Nadal (2014 Wimbledon), Federer (2015 Madrid) and Djokovic (2017 Acapulco)

“Look, I’m very confident,” he said. “I mean, look there’s been 16 people that have ever walked the earth that have beaten the Big Three and the Big Four.

“So I feel like, look, I’m quite confident but at the same time I’m very aware she’s dangerous.”

Despite a ranking of No. 652 because of his long time on the sideline, the 30-year-old Australian was confident he’d be fit enough to play well in a month.

“I’m going to be ready,” he said. “I feel good about it.”