After attacks on Jannik Sinner Nick Kyrgios has a new target: Aryna Sabalenka

After his repeated attacks on Jannik Sinner over the Clostebol affair (and more), Nick Kyrgios is setting his sights on women’s tennis number 1, Aryna Sabalenka, with whom he will play in early January in yet another episode of the “Battle of the Sexes,” which has been making the racquet world debate for more than 50 years.

The Australian, who has never been higher than world number 13, who is currently 651 and who has not been on court since the Miami Masters 1000 last March, spoke about the challenge to Sabalenka in an’interview on the First And Red podcast with Alexander Bublik, who yesterday took a triple 6-1 beating from Sinner in the round of 16 of the US Open.

“I am very excited about the match, she has a great personality and is a magnificent tennis player. It makes me laugh that she really thinks she can win. Do you really think she can beat me? She won’t be able to. Do you really think I will have to play at 100 percent? I will try to stay focused because I am representing men, I think I will win 6-2”.

The most famous “battles of the sexes” featured two Americans. On May 13, 1973, Bobby Riggs, then 55 years old, played against Australian Margaret Court, who was then dominating tennis along with Billie Jean King, and defeated her 6-2 6-1, but then on Sept. 20 of the same year, against King herself, she lost 6-4 6-3 6-3 and the news caused quite a stir.

The other U.S. star in this type of challenge was Jimmy Connors, who on Sept. 25, 1992, at age 40, won 7-5 6-2 against 35-year-old Martina Navrátilová despite having only one service ball at her disposal against the former Czechoslovakian’s usual two, who also had the advantage, as in doubles, of taking advantage of the corridors as well.