2025 was the year of Aryna Sabalenka for so many reasons. She reached three of the four grand slam finals, winning her fourth major title at the US Open and further positioning herself as a generational great. From her humble origins as a volatile, one-note ball-basher, the 27-year-old has admirably evolved into an increasingly complete player. Sabalenka is the best player in the world for a second year in succession.

The fleeting tennis off-season is usually an opportunity for players and spectators alike to reflect on such great feats before the new season is upon them. This year, however, the December discourse has been derailed by the fast-approaching train wreck Sabalenka stands at the heart of.

On Sunday, Sabalenka, the world No 1 in women’s tennis, will play against Nick Kyrgios in an exhibition match in Dubai that has been billed as the Battle of the Sexes. At the end of many weeks of promotion from both players, it remains on track to being one of the most inane tennis events ever conceived.

It is not difficult to see why this match would be appealing to Kyrgios, who over the past three years has had an unending string of injuries, playing just six official matches during this period. At 30 years old, it is unclear whether he will be able to return to the tour in any consistent or competitive manner. He is evidently here to earn as much money as he can, while he still can.

Sabalenka’s participation in this event is far more noteworthy and disappointing. She reached three of the four grand slam finals in 2025, winning her fourth major title at the US Open and further positioning herself as a generational great. From her humble origins as a volatile, aggressive young hopeful, the 27-year-old has admirably evolved into an increasingly complete player.

Since the announcement of the exhibition Sabalenka, Kyrgios and their camp have countered the subsequent criticism by asserting that this should be viewed solely as lighthearted entertainment that will be greatly beneficial for the sport, driving greater interest in tennis and reaching audiences that may not be interested in its regular competitive formats.

At the same time, however, it has been marketed by cynically using the challenges faced by women’s sports as engagement bait. Sabalenka has claimed that the contest will “bring women’s tennis to a higher level” and she has also referenced Billie Jean King’s 1973 win over the former player Bobby Riggs to immense fanfare in one of the original Battle of the Sexes bouts, a seminal moment for women’s sports that played an instrumental role in changing attitudes to female athletes.

Regardless of the result, this event is an own goal for Sabalenka and women’s tennis. There is nothing at all to learn from it. A top female player cannot be competitive with a top male player and the audience will not believe any scenario where they are. However, women’s tennis is still already a tremendous sport responsible for some of the greatest athletes ever seen. The sport does need more attention and eyes, but that should be on its countless great competitive performances and unforgettable personalities.

The last thing women’s tennis needs is more tired discussions questioning equal prize money, which will never change, and women playing best-of-five-sets matches – topics this event is sure to invite. The position of No 1 in the WTA, the leader of the biggest women’s sport in the world, has always been of great symbolism and importance. Sabalenka has used the position she has earned to open up the floor for people to trash her sport.

The buildup of this event has been even more grim than anticipated. In early December, Sabalenka and Kyrgios were interviewed by Piers Morgan and the discussion soon turned to the subject of trans women in professional tennis, with Sabalenka rebuking the presence of trans women in the sport. Her comments made global headlines.

There are zero trans women on the WTA Tour. A far more relevant and pressing issue is the misogyny that female players continue to face on a daily basis from figures both outside and within the sport. Sabalenka chose to make statements claiming to protect women’s sport ahead of an exhibition that she insists will help it while sitting shoulder to shoulder with Kyrgios, a man who pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend, had to distance himself from Andrew Tate after reposting the proud misogynist on social media and who has faced accusations of sexist remarks involving female players, such as Anna Kalinskaya and Donna Vekic.

There is no denying the attention this has generated. The event has been picked up by the BBC and Sabalenka was ushered on to the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, a stage usually only accessible to tennis players immediately after a US Open triumph. It would not be a surprise to see the Dubai Coca-Cola Arena’s 17,000 seats mostly filled.

However, attention isn’t always positive. This exhibition is nothing more than a cynical attempt to fabricate controversy to benefit the bank accounts of both the players and all other entities involved. It is an event truly of its era, a time when influencers generate more money for their celebrity boxing bouts than many of the best fighters in the world. No serious figure really believes that Jake Paul leveraging his celebrity to earn untold millions by fighting Anthony Joshua or a 58-year-old Mike Tyson is actually good for boxing, just as no serious figure should believe that this event has any sort of noble cause. Sabalenka and Kyrgios are both represented by the same agency, Evolve, and they all stand to gain handsomely.

2025 was one of the best women’s tennis seasons in recent memory, driven by performances from Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek but with a supreme supporting cast including Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys, players who have made life incredibly difficult for the top two and provoked numerous spectacular matches. As always, the best way to understand the greatness of women’s tennis is to watch women’s tennis.