LONDON — The tennis world is abuzz with anticipation for a high-profile exhibition dubbed the "Battle of the Sexes," pitting world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka against the charismatic and controversial Nick Kyrgios. Yet, the woman whose name is synonymous with the very concept has drawn a clear line in the sand. Billie Jean King, the architect and victor of the 1973 spectacle that transcended sport, has stated unequivocally that the upcoming match is "not the same" as her era-defining clash with Bobby Riggs.
Speaking to the media ahead of the event, King expressed support for the players and the entertainment value but emphasized the profound contextual chasm separating the two matches. "Mine was for social change. This is not," King stated plainly. "It's totally different. Ours was about social change. It was about history. It was about getting the [Virginia Slims] tour started, getting more money, getting more opportunities."
The Weight of History: 1973 vs. 2024
To understand King's distinction, one must revisit the pressurized atmosphere of 1973. Her match against the 55-year-old self-proclaimed "chauvinist pig" Bobby Riggs was not merely a sporting contest; it was a cultural flashpoint in the heated battle for gender equality. King carried the hopes of the women's liberation movement on her shoulders. A loss would have been framed as a validation of Riggs' taunts that women's tennis was inferior and that a female champion couldn't beat a middle-aged male journeyman.
The stakes were tangible and immediate for the survival of women's professional tennis. King and the "Original 9" had risked their careers to form a separate women's tour, fighting for recognition and prize money parity. The Riggs match, watched by an estimated 90 million viewers globally, was a pivotal opportunity to prove the tour's worth and attract sponsors. King's decisive 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory at the Houston Astrodome was a landmark moment, a powerful symbolic win that boosted the credibility and commercial viability of women's sports.
A Modern Exhibition: Entertainment Over Activism
In stark contrast, the 2024 iteration between Sabalenka and Kyrgios is framed almost exclusively as entertainment. Scheduled for later this year, it features two of the game's most explosive current personalities. Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, possesses arguably the most powerful baseline game on the WTA tour. Kyrgios, a Wimbledon finalist and fan favorite known for his shot-making genius and theatricality, promises a spectacle. The premise is athletic curiosity and showmanship, not a referendum on gender capabilities.
King pointedly noted the difference in foundational purpose. "This is an exhibition. It's for entertainment... It's not going to change the hearts and minds of people about equality like ours did," she said. The modern landscape King helped create means Sabalenka is not fighting for the existence of her tour or equal pay at the majors; she is a top-paid superstar in her own right, competing in a well-established, global professional circuit.
The Players' Perspectives and Inherent Differences
Both Sabalenka and Kyrgios have approached the match with a lighthearted, competitive spirit, acknowledging the fun and challenge without the historical baggage. Kyrgios has called it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" and praised Sabalenka's power. Sabalenka has embraced the challenge, joking about the physical differences but focusing on putting on a great show. This tone underscores King's point: the pressure is about performance, not progress.
Furthermore, the athletic comparison is inherently different. Riggs was a former Wimbledon champion decades past his prime, relying on guile and junk balls. Kyrgios, while not currently ranked due to injury, is a contemporary elite player in his prime years, renowned for a devastating serve and all-court skill. The physical matchup, while still favoring the male athlete's typical serve speed and muscle composition, is not the glaring contrast of 1973. Key contextual factors include:
- The Stakes: 1973 was for the future of women's professional sports; 2024 is for charity and fan engagement.
- The Message: King vs. Riggs was a public battle for equality and respect; Sabalenka vs. Kyrgios is a display of cross-gender tennis skill.
- The Legacy: One match altered the trajectory of sports history; the other will be a memorable night in the calendar.
King's Enduring Legacy and Nuanced Support
Billie Jean King's comments are not a dismissal of the upcoming event but a necessary historical clarification. She has fought tirelessly to ensure comparisons do not dilute the specific, hard-won significance of her achievement. Her life's work created the conditions where such an exhibition can exist purely as entertainment, free from the burden of carrying an entire movement. "I'm glad they're doing it. It's great for them," King affirmed, separating her personal endorsement from the historical analogy.
Her stance serves as a reminder that the original "Battle of the Sexes" was a strategic political act disguised as a tennis match. Every element, from the circus-like promotion to the venue choice, was calculated to maximize impact for the cause. The Sabalenka-Kyrgios match, while leveraging the famous branding, operates in a world King helped shape—one where the battle for respect and opportunity, though far from over, has moved to different arenas.
Conclusion: A Different Court, A Different Game
In the end, "Mine was for social change, this is not" stands as the definitive framing. The 1973 match was a pivotal chapter in a societal revolution, where the scoreline carried symbolic weight far beyond the court. The 2024 exhibition is a celebration of modern tennis power and personality, a testament to the diversified appeal of the sport. Both have their place, but conflating them risks obscuring the profound struggle that Billie Jean King embodied and the very specific history she made. As King herself succinctly put it, "It's a different world now. And that's a good thing."