Sabalenka to take on Kyrgios in 'Battle of the Sexes' match in Dubai

Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka will take on Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ exhibition match in Dubai on Dec. 28, organisers announced on Tuesday.

- 

Sabalenka will face Kyrgios in a modern rendition of tennis icon Billie Jean King's 1973 showdown with fellow American Bobby Riggs, which turned out to be a watershed moment for both tennis and the women's movement.

Played in Houston's Astrodome, some 90 million tuned in worldwide to watch King storm to a straight sets victory which propelled the fight for equality in sports.

Aged 55 at the time, Riggs had beaten Australia’s Margaret Court four months earlier before King, aged 29, exacted revenge.

In 1992, eight-time Grand Slam champion Jimmy Connors, then aged 40, beat 18-time major winner Martina Navratilova, then 35, under modified rules.

"I have so much respect for Billie Jean King and what she has done for the women's game,” four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka said in a statement.

“I'm proud to represent women's tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic Battle of the Sexes match.”

Sabalenka and Kyrgios have teased the match on numerous occasions in the past few months, with the contest initially slated to be hosted in Hong Kong.