NICK KYRGIOS VS ARYNA SABALENKA: THE COURT WAS SMALLER BUT THE DRAMA WAS HUGE: WHO REALLY FELT PRESSURE
Nick Kyrgios defeats Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in Dubai. Read how the 9% court handicap and one-serve rule changed the game.
The hyped-up Battle of the Sexes match between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked woman, was actually fun to watch. Kyrgios won the thing in Dubai on Sunday.
Kyrgios, who's been in the Wimbledon final before, took the exhibition match 6-3, 6-3. It was kind of like a nod to the famous 1973 match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs and King's fight for respect and equal pay in women's tennis.
On Sunday, each player only got one serve. Also, Sabalenka's side of the court was made a bit smaller (nine per cent) to try and level the playing field against Kyrgios' power and speed.
"I reckon not many blokes would want to be in my shoes, especially given my rep," Kyrgios said.
But Aryna was up for it. The score was closer than it seemed. I was feeling the heat for sure. With the crowd getting into it, anything could've happened. I was sweating a bit.
Playing to a packed house at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, Kyrgios handled the slightly smaller court size on Sabalenka's side and got the win.
With the one-serve rule, both players started a bit shaky. Then, Kyrgios broke Sabalenka to take a 4-3 lead and wrapped up the first set.
The Aussie looked gassed in the second set after falling behind 1-3. He managed to tie it up at 3-3 after Sabalenka sent a shot too long.
Unlike Riggs, who was long retired when he played King, Kyrgios is still playing on the ATP Tour.
"It was a tough one," Kyrgios said. She's one heck of a player and a true champ. I mean, she's won multiple Grand Slams. I wasn't really sure what to expect.
As I said before, no matter my part, it was great to get out there. She broke my serve a bunch of times, and I swear, I was feeling the pressure because she was hitting some crazy shots.
Kyrgios closed out the match with a serve and then hugged Sabalenka.
"I think I gave it a good shot," Sabalenka said.
He was struggling, getting tight. Glad to see him feeling the pressure, especially after taking away one of my serves. I thought the level of play was pretty good.
I hit some good shots, came to the net a lot... nice drop shots, Nick, and great serving. I had a blast, and next time we play, I'll know his game better.
I know what he's good at and what he's not so good at, so it should be an even better match.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
