Another tennis "battle of the sexes"? oy
 

I'm just reading about Sabalenka and Kyrgios. This has to be a joke, Kyrgios is only a few years removed from being a Grand Slam finalist, in a real match no woman however great could hold her own with an elite man. Just how it is. I'm still not convinced Billie Jean really beat Bobby Riggs and he was in his 50s. Come on.

I haven't read the story (or heard about the match) but Sabalenka may be the hardest hitting woman in tennis history.

It's surprising that Sabalenka would debase herself by participating in something like this.

Kyrgios is mentally fragile, which is really her only chance. Maybe he implodes and defaults.

Venus Williams was a very big hitter. At her peak in a little known match she played a dude who was ranked maybe 200th or so on the men's tour. She lost 6-1. Serena played the same guy and lost 6-2. I don't trust this match at all going in, I think it's more a show than a real competition.

In sports men competing against women is beyond stupid. I watch a lot of strongman and we just had a man win the Worlds Strongest Woman title. Thankfully they have since disqualified the insanely huge man and gave the title to the woman that deserved it.

Sabalenka’s Side of the court will be 9% smaller and I’m sure there’ll be some other adjustments - but yeah it’s goofy

Diving might be a sport where men and women could compete head to head. Maybe also some gymnastics events.

I didn't see the shemale competing in strongman, but I bet that wasn't a pretty sight.

It was at OSG last weekend. I believe "she" is 6'5" and 400lbs. To be fair very few strongwomen are pretty.:)

LOL they both will only get one serve, I guess that's to neutralize Kyrgios although Sabalenka has a great serve. Reminds me of Mayweather v MacGregor and Tyson v Jake Paul, in a way, complete mismatches being hyped as though they weren't.

It seems like a no win for Kyrgios. If he wins, people will say big effing deal, you beat a woman. If he loses, he will either be accused of throwing it, or be disgraced.

I was there. I was a regular beer vendor for many Dome events, particularly Oilers games. They had called in too many of us that night, so I ended up getting a floor pass and had a pretty good view from the corner of the court.

Riggs was joking around for a while at the start. But BJK made him run around and wore his azz out. In his prime (before my time, for sure), I bet he'd have beaten her easily, but as it was, he was too old and slow to compete with a world-class woman player like her. I know he beat Margaret Court, but that was more of a fun exhibition match from what I have read.

The hardest serve in women's history is 133 MPH indeed by Sabalenka

The hardest serve in High School boys tennis is 144MPH.

I'm all for equal opportunity in life but this idea of actual equality in the physical realm is still a little silly.

Riggs mopped up the court with Margaret Court a couple months ahead of his match with King got great odds (either for himself or someone he owed money to) and threw the match against King.

Hell the boy's 400m runner on my high school track team who didn't even win the state title in 1988, would've won the women's gold medal in 1988.

Oh yeah, I agree it's not a fair comparison. I just like to give Sabalenka credit for being awesome. I've played tennis my whole life (including on a very good varsity team in HS) and I doubt I could win a point against her.

I think it's fun. But I'd be lying if I didn't think Nick isn't going to win easily. Nick is ranked in the 600s but in reality has the talent of a top 30 player if he actually TRIES. He just beat American player Mackenzie McDonald who is ranked around 100 for context.

Riggs beat Court 6-1 6-2. At the time she was still, I believe, the #1 player in the world. Even if King was a little better than Court, she was not THAT much better. And she had already refused to play Riggs once. There is no rational reason she would have thought she could win in a legitimate match after Riggs dismantled Court.