LONDON — The Battle of the Sexes exhibition match at the All-Star Tennis Festival on Sunday was meant to be a light-hearted spectacle, but it ended with a pointed accusation from former British number one Annabel Croft. Following a controversial 6-3, 6-4 victory for Nick Kyrgios over a team of WTA stars, Croft suggested the Australian’s on-court antics crossed a line from entertainment into disrespect.
The unique format pitted Kyrgios against a rotating trio of top women’s players: Donna Vekic, Sorana Cirstea, and Paula Badosa. While the event promised fun and showmanship, the competitive fire was undeniable. Kyrgios, known for his mercurial talent and theatrical flair, deployed his full arsenal of trick shots, including multiple underarm serves and between-the-legs attempts, which drew mixed reactions from the crowd and his opponents.
The Flashpoint: Gamesmanship or Good Fun?
The match’s tone shifted noticeably in the second set. With Kyrgios leading and in control, he increased the frequency of unconventional plays. At one pivotal moment, he feigned an underarm serve before striking a powerful, standard serve that handcuffed Vekic. The move elicited boos from sections of the audience. Later, after winning a crucial point with a tweener lob that caught Badosa off guard, Kyrgios celebrated exuberantly, turning to the crowd with his arms raised.
It was this celebratory demeanor that seemed to particularly rankle Annabel Croft, who was providing commentary. “There’s a fine line between entertainment and gamesmanship,” Croft stated. “Some of those underarm serves, the constant tweeners when the match is tight—it felt less like a exhibition and more like he was trying to prove a point at their expense.”
Croft, a respected voice in tennis broadcasting, elaborated on her concerns, drawing a distinction between showboating and potential disrespect. “The women were competing hard, they were treating it with the right spirit. But when you see Paula’s frustrated smile after that lob or Donna’s reaction to the fake underarm serve, you have to wonder if the ‘battle’ concept was taken a bit too literally.”
Kyrgios Defends His Approach
In his post-match interview, Kyrgios was unapologetic, framing his performance as pure entertainment for the fans who had paid to see a spectacle. “That’s what the people come for, right?” he said with a grin. “It’s the Battle of the Sexes. It’s meant to be fun, a bit of banter. I’m not going out there to play standard, boring tennis. I hit some crazy shots, the crowd reacted, everyone was engaged. That’s a successful exhibition in my book.”
He also praised his opponents, calling them “incredible athletes” and stating the format was a celebration of tennis. However, he did not directly address the accusations of gamesmanship. The women involved offered diplomatic responses post-match. Paula Badosa tweeted, “Always fun to share the court… even when someone is hitting tweeners at you!” with a laughing emoji.
A History of Provocative Exhibitions
The modern "Battle of the Sexes" concept carries the heavy legacy of the 1973 match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King, a seminal event laden with social significance about gender equality and competitiveness. Contemporary exhibitions, while less politically charged, still navigate a complex space. Critics argue they must balance:
- Showmanship and respect for opponents.
- The desire to win with the exhibition’s primary goal of fan enjoyment.
- The fine line where competitive teasing can be perceived as condescension.
Croft’s comments tap into this ongoing debate. “In the spirit of the original Battle of the Sexes, it was about proving a point of equality through competition,” she noted. “When the antics overshadow the quality of tennis and the respect for the opponent, the spirit gets lost. It becomes less about ‘battle’ and more about one person’s show.”
The Broader Conversation on Entertainment
Kyrgios has built his global brand on being a disruptor, a player who brings unprecedented entertainment value and viral moments to the sport. His approach has divided opinion for a decade: is he a savior for tennis’s relevance in a short-attention-span world, or does his conduct occasionally undermine the sport’s decorum? This incident is a microcosm of that larger debate.
Many fans on social media defended Kyrgios, arguing that exhibitions are precisely the venue for such antics and that the women were fully capable of handling it. Others agreed with Croft, feeling the performance veered into mockery. The discussion highlights the challenge of curating exhibition events that satisfy a modern audience’s desire for both high-level play and theatrical entertainment without causing offense.
The All-Star Tennis Festival organizers have yet to comment on the controversy, likely viewing the heated discussion as successful engagement. The event, overall, was a financial and popular success, with a packed arena. Yet, the lingering question posed by Annabel Croft remains: “At what point does the entertainment stop being for everyone, and start being at someone’s expense?”
As the tennis world moves forward, the line between spectacle and sportsmanship will continue to be tested. Kyrgios, as ever, remains its most willing provocateur. While his victory on the scoreboard was clear, the verdict on his methods in this particular battle is still being debated, proving that in the complex arena of exhibition tennis, winning the match and winning over the room are not always the same thing.