Sabalenka, Kyrgios relishing 'Battle of the Sexes'

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and Australian Nick Kyrgios said they were excited about facing the unknown when they meet in today's "Battle of the Sexes" exhibition match that has divided opinion in the tennis world.

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Today's showdown between four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka and former world No.13 Kyrgios is seen by many as entertainment, but critics believe it risks undermining women's tennis by trivialising decades of progress toward equality.

The duo said they were not paying too much attention to the debate surrounding the contest at Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena.

"This event is really unpredictable, and I don't know what to expect," Sabalenka told reporters yesterday.

"That's what I love because this is the feeling you chase when you play sport, these unpredictable situations, and I love to challenge myself. For me, it's a huge challenge, especially playing Nick, the guy who's unpredictable and crazy.

"That's great training for me and that's a great message to the girls out there. I hope they're going to watch, and they're going to see how strong and tough I am to have the guts to challenge myself to play against the guy."