{"id":147336,"date":"2025-12-29T13:28:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T12:28:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/sin-categorizar\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T13:28:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T12:28:28","slug":"was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/","title":{"rendered":"Was Sabalenka and Kyrgios&#8217; &#8216;Battle of the Sexes&#8217; a fiasco? Criticism and conflicting opinions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"269\" data-end=\"708\">The so-called <strong data-start=\"283\" data-end=\"309\">&#8216;Battle of the Sexes&#8217;<\/strong> between world number one <strong data-start=\"316\" data-end=\"335\">Aryna Sabalenka<\/strong> and <strong data-start=\"361\" data-end=\"377\">Nick Kyrgios<\/strong> promised a unique showdown between two current tennis stars. However, what was supposed to be a competitive duel between top-level figures ended up diverting into a spectacle that many international media have harshly criticized, questioning both the intensity and the conditions of the match. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"710\" data-end=\"1105\">The event, held Sunday at the <strong data-start=\"750\" data-end=\"796\">Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates,<\/strong> failed to embody the essence of the historic 1973 match between <strong data-start=\"863\" data-end=\"897\">Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs<\/strong>, which remains a symbol of the struggle for equality in sport. Analysts, journalists and spectators have expressed their disappointment with the way the match unfolded, both on and off the court. <\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"1107\" data-end=\"1175\"><strong data-start=\"1110\" data-end=\"1175\">From expectations to criticism: the party described as a &#8220;circus&#8221;.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1177\" data-end=\"1452\">The initial anticipation surrounding the match was high, and many tennis fans expected to see an intense confrontation between two talents with very different styles and strengths. However, the match did not live up to those expectations. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1454\" data-end=\"1964\"><strong data-start=\"1454\" data-end=\"1470\">The Guardian<\/strong>, one of the media that followed the event closely, did not hesitate to call it a &#8220;circus&#8221;: <em data-start=\"1556\" data-end=\"1748\">&#8220;The battle of the sexes became a circus, it was a match for those with a casual interest in tennis. It was very different from the match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973.&#8221;<\/em> This sentence sums up the sentiment of a significant part of the specialized public, who felt that the exhibition lacked the competitive essence that should characterize a challenge between two figures of this caliber.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Sabalenka leaves Krygios SPEECHLESS \ud83d\ude31<\/p>\n<p>Can&#8217;t hit a better forehand on the run \ud83d\udc4f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Q852fzI4ek\">pic.twitter.com\/Q852fzI4ek<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel)  <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TennisChannel\/status\/2005320317619601548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 28, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1966\" data-end=\"2353\">Similarly, the <strong data-start=\"1988\" data-end=\"1995\">BBC<\/strong> underlined the lack of intensity and the light tone of the clash, highlighting mainly Kyrgios&#8217; attitude: <em data-start=\"2113\" data-end=\"2353\">&#8220;The battle of the sexes was far from the promised intensity and spectacle. Moreover, Kyrgios played carefree and trying to shorten the points as much as possible. It was just a mere exhibition match at the end of the season.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2355\" data-end=\"2604\">From another perspective, <strong data-start=\"2379\" data-end=\"2391\">ABC News<\/strong> pointed to the passivity of the crowd as a reflection of the lack of excitement on the court: <em data-start=\"2475\" data-end=\"2603\">&#8220;Even the applause seemed forced and it seemed like everyone was relieved that the match was over in an hour and a half.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2606\" data-end=\"2822\">These comments, among others, have fueled a debate on whether these types of events maintain their competitive value or if, on the contrary, they are reduced to spectacles that have little to do with elite sport.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"2824\" data-end=\"2867\"><strong data-start=\"2827\" data-end=\"2867\">Rules and conditions under scrutiny<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2869\" data-end=\"3074\">One of the recurring criticisms that arose after the match has to do with the <strong data-start=\"2947\" data-end=\"3004\">specific conditions in which the game was played<\/strong>, which were far from being fair or sporting in the traditional sense.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3076\" data-end=\"3490\">The match was played <strong data-start=\"3100\" data-end=\"3135\">on an asymmetrical surface<\/strong>, with the court reduced on the Belarusian Sabalenka&#8217;s side by <strong data-start=\"3203\" data-end=\"3235\">9% less playable ground<\/strong>. These adjustments generated debate because, although they are part of the &#8220;Battle of the Sexes,&#8221; they can significantly influence the performance of the players, especially when it comes to high-level players accustomed to standard conditions. <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h5><a href=\"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/the-most-unexpected-farewell-in-spanish-tennis-carlos-alcaraz-closes-a-key-stage-of-his-career-and-breaks-up-with-juan-carlos-ferrero\/?swcfpc=1\">The most unexpected farewell in Spanish tennis: Carlos Alcaraz closes a key stage of his career and breaks up with Juan Carlos Ferrero<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3492\" data-end=\"3857\">Before the match, French tennis player <strong data-start=\"3535\" data-end=\"3551\">Aliz\u00e9 Cornet<\/strong> criticized such rules, questioning Sabalenka&#8217;s decision to accept them: <em data-start=\"3634\" data-end=\"3856\">&#8220;Why did she accept these rules? Why did she accept to reduce the size of her side when she is the world number one? She is the great dominating player on the WTA circuit and surely she could have played on a normal court against Kyrgios.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3859\" data-end=\"4253\">Cornet also defended that these decisions limited Sabalenka&#8217;s abilities: <em data-start=\"3944\" data-end=\"4144\">&#8220;These decisions diminished Sabalenka&#8217;s abilities, as she can defend from the back of the court against a Kyrgios who is semi-retired, untrained and with a very swollen knee.&#8221;<\/em> These words evidence that, even before the match, there were doubts about the set-up of the challenge.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"4255\" data-end=\"4305\"><strong data-start=\"4258\" data-end=\"4305\">A show rather than a competitive duel<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"4307\" data-end=\"4605\">The description of the atmosphere and the development of the match reinforced the idea that the event was perceived more as a show than as a serious confrontation. The presence of celebrities such as <strong data-start=\"4495\" data-end=\"4527\">Ronaldo, Kak\u00e1 or Peter Crouch<\/strong> in the stands underlined the media rather than the sporting character of the event. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4607\" data-end=\"5115\">The match unfolded with <strong data-start=\"4636\" data-end=\"4710\">gestures for the gallery and moments of complicity between both players<\/strong>, with a style that contrasted radically with the historical rivalry between King and Riggs. Kyrgios, known for his extroverted personality, starred in humorous moments, such as sending overhead serves or points with exaggerated drop shots. In one of the time-outs, Sabalenka even broke out into a &#8220;<strong data-start=\"5014\" data-end=\"5029\">La Macarena<\/strong>&#8221; dance, one of the moments that most caught the attention of those who followed the broadcast.  <\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"5117\" data-end=\"5157\"><strong data-start=\"5120\" data-end=\"5157\">Statements after the match<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"5159\" data-end=\"5446\">At the end of the duel, Kyrgios stated, <em data-start=\"5202\" data-end=\"5294\">&#8220;It was a hard fought battle. I wouldn&#8217;t say I&#8217;m the winner, I&#8217;d say the show won.&#8221;<\/em> His phrase sums up well the overall tone of the event: a mix of light-hearted competition and entertainment over traditional competitive performance.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h5><a href=\"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/current-news\/what-happened-to-rafa-nadal-and-why-his-hand-was-operated-on-after-retiring-from-tennis\/?swcfpc=1\">What happened to Rafa Nadal and why his hand was operated on after retiring from tennis<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"5448\" data-end=\"5863\">For his part, Sabalenka, despite the defeat (6-3, 6-3), was positive about the future. She acknowledged that she knew Kyrgios&#8217; strengths and weaknesses during the match and expressed her interest in a new confrontation: <em data-start=\"5687\" data-end=\"5862\">&#8220;I feel that the next time I play against him I already know the tactics. I know his strengths and weaknesses. I&#8217;m sure it will be a better match&#8230; I would love to play again.&#8221;<\/em> <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5865\" data-end=\"6014\">This statement not only reflects sportsmanship, but also the possibility that this type of event could be rethought or evolve in future editions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The exhibition between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios in Dubai sparked outrage and debate: from tension-free spectacle to questions about the rules of the match.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":147333,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2910,3297],"tags":[10871,10873,10872,5667],"ppma_author":[6611],"class_list":["post-147336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-news","category-sports","tag-aryna-sabalenka","tag-battle-of-the-sexes","tag-nick-kyrgios","tag-tennis"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Was Sabalenka and Kyrgios&#039; &#039;Battle of the Sexes&#039; a fiasco? Criticism and conflicting opinions - La Voz De Ibiza<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The exhibition between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios in Dubai sparked outrage and debate: from tension-free spectacle to questions about the rules of the match.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Was Sabalenka and Kyrgios&#039; &#039;Battle of the Sexes&#039; a fiasco? Criticism and conflicting opinions - La Voz De Ibiza\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The exhibition between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios in Dubai sparked outrage and debate: from tension-free spectacle to questions about the rules of the match.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"La Voz De Ibiza\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-29T12:28:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/logo-lvib-grande.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marianel Battaglia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@vozdeibiza\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@vozdeibiza\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Marianel Battaglia\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Marianel Battaglia\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/929bae173f9ebdac3b761950ecd4e6f0\"},\"headline\":\"Was Sabalenka and Kyrgios&#8217; &#8216;Battle of the Sexes&#8217; a fiasco? Criticism and conflicting opinions\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-29T12:28:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":975,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/N7RNLC5KGRGIRCU7NRFCMINEFM.avif\",\"keywords\":[\"Aryna Sabalenka\",\"Battle of the sexes\",\"Nick Kyrgios\",\"Tennis\"],\"articleSection\":[\"CURRENT NEWS\",\"SPORTS\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"ItemPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/\",\"name\":\"Was Sabalenka and Kyrgios' 'Battle of the Sexes' a fiasco? Criticism and conflicting opinions - La Voz De Ibiza\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/N7RNLC5KGRGIRCU7NRFCMINEFM.avif\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-29T12:28:28+00:00\",\"description\":\"The exhibition between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios in Dubai sparked outrage and debate: from tension-free spectacle to questions about the rules of the match.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/N7RNLC5KGRGIRCU7NRFCMINEFM.avif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/N7RNLC5KGRGIRCU7NRFCMINEFM.avif\",\"width\":992,\"height\":680,\"caption\":\"Nick Kyrgios y Aryna Sabalenka\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/sports\\\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Portada\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Was Sabalenka and Kyrgios&#8217; &#8216;Battle of the Sexes&#8217; a fiasco? Criticism and conflicting opinions\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"La Voz de Ibiza\",\"description\":\"Diario de informaci\u00f3n actualidad y noticias de Ibiza. Todas las noticias de los municipios de Ibiza\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Organization\",\"NewsMediaOrganization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"La Voz de Ibiza\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/logo-lvib-grande.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/logo-lvib-grande.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"La Voz de Ibiza\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/vozdeibiza\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/lavozibiza\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/929bae173f9ebdac3b761950ecd4e6f0\",\"name\":\"Marianel Battaglia\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/34a286aabf1ec20ddd3421883a350bf413ea1c629a017fb843ff424238d96433?s=96&d=mm&r=g3ec01433967ecfa17bedc95e381a134e\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/34a286aabf1ec20ddd3421883a350bf413ea1c629a017fb843ff424238d96433?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/34a286aabf1ec20ddd3421883a350bf413ea1c629a017fb843ff424238d96433?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Marianel Battaglia\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/mbattaglia\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"SiteNavigationElement\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#site-navigation\",\"cssSelector\":[\".cib-main-menu\"]},{\"@type\":\"WPHeader\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#header\",\"cssSelector\":[\".cib-header\"]},{\"@type\":\"WPFooter\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lavozdeibiza.com\\\/en\\\/#footer\",\"cssSelector\":[\".cib-footer\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Was Sabalenka and Kyrgios' 'Battle of the Sexes' a fiasco? Criticism and conflicting opinions - La Voz De Ibiza","description":"The exhibition between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios in Dubai sparked outrage and debate: from tension-free spectacle to questions about the rules of the match.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Was Sabalenka and Kyrgios' 'Battle of the Sexes' a fiasco? Criticism and conflicting opinions - La Voz De Ibiza","og_description":"The exhibition between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios in Dubai sparked outrage and debate: from tension-free spectacle to questions about the rules of the match.","og_url":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/","og_site_name":"La Voz De Ibiza","article_published_time":"2025-12-29T12:28:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":1000,"url":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/logo-lvib-grande.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Marianel Battaglia","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@vozdeibiza","twitter_site":"@vozdeibiza","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Marianel Battaglia","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/"},"author":{"name":"Marianel Battaglia","@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/929bae173f9ebdac3b761950ecd4e6f0"},"headline":"Was Sabalenka and Kyrgios&#8217; &#8216;Battle of the Sexes&#8217; a fiasco? Criticism and conflicting opinions","datePublished":"2025-12-29T12:28:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/"},"wordCount":975,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/N7RNLC5KGRGIRCU7NRFCMINEFM.avif","keywords":["Aryna Sabalenka","Battle of the sexes","Nick Kyrgios","Tennis"],"articleSection":["CURRENT NEWS","SPORTS"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["WebPage","ItemPage"],"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/","url":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/","name":"Was Sabalenka and Kyrgios' 'Battle of the Sexes' a fiasco? Criticism and conflicting opinions - La Voz De Ibiza","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/N7RNLC5KGRGIRCU7NRFCMINEFM.avif","datePublished":"2025-12-29T12:28:28+00:00","description":"The exhibition between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios in Dubai sparked outrage and debate: from tension-free spectacle to questions about the rules of the match.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/N7RNLC5KGRGIRCU7NRFCMINEFM.avif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/N7RNLC5KGRGIRCU7NRFCMINEFM.avif","width":992,"height":680,"caption":"Nick Kyrgios y Aryna Sabalenka"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/sports\/was-sabalenka-and-kyrgios-battle-of-the-sexes-a-fiasco-criticism-and-conflicting-opinions\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Portada","item":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Was Sabalenka and Kyrgios&#8217; &#8216;Battle of the Sexes&#8217; a fiasco? Criticism and conflicting opinions"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/","name":"La Voz de Ibiza","description":"Diario de informaci\u00f3n actualidad y noticias de Ibiza. Todas las noticias de los municipios de Ibiza","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Organization","NewsMediaOrganization"],"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#organization","name":"La Voz de Ibiza","url":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/logo-lvib-grande.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/logo-lvib-grande.jpg","width":1500,"height":1000,"caption":"La Voz de Ibiza"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/vozdeibiza","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lavozibiza\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/929bae173f9ebdac3b761950ecd4e6f0","name":"Marianel Battaglia","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/34a286aabf1ec20ddd3421883a350bf413ea1c629a017fb843ff424238d96433?s=96&d=mm&r=g3ec01433967ecfa17bedc95e381a134e","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/34a286aabf1ec20ddd3421883a350bf413ea1c629a017fb843ff424238d96433?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/34a286aabf1ec20ddd3421883a350bf413ea1c629a017fb843ff424238d96433?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Marianel Battaglia"},"url":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/author\/mbattaglia\/"},{"@type":"SiteNavigationElement","@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#site-navigation","cssSelector":[".cib-main-menu"]},{"@type":"WPHeader","@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#header","cssSelector":[".cib-header"]},{"@type":"WPFooter","@id":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/#footer","cssSelector":[".cib-footer"]}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":6611,"user_id":32,"is_guest":0,"slug":"mbattaglia","display_name":"Marianel Battaglia","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/34a286aabf1ec20ddd3421883a350bf413ea1c629a017fb843ff424238d96433?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":"","9":"","10":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147336"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavozdeibiza.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=147336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}