Battle of the Sexes between Sabalenka and Kyrgios: Unprecedented Court Dimensions Revealed
In Dubai, the showdown between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios will take place on a modified court, designed to provide a more balanced contest. Between power, precision, and ego, the spectacle promises to be unique.
The new "Battle of the Sexes" will take place on December 28th at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. This modern version of the event will pit world number one Aryna Sabalenka against the flamboyant and ever-controversial Nick Kyrgios.
For the past few days, the two opponents have been exchanging statements through the media, each claiming they will emerge victorious from this duel. Meanwhile, the event organizer, Stuart Duguid (who is the agent for both players), revealed the exact court dimensions to the media outlet Bounces.
While Aryna Sabalenka will be able to unleash her power on a court with standard dimensions, Nick Kyrgios, on the other hand, will need to demonstrate greater precision: the court will be slightly smaller, measuring 10.82 meters in length instead of 11.88, and 7.5 meters in width compared to the usual 8.23.
Consequently, the service boxes will also be more restricted, changing from 6.4 meters by 4.115 meters to 5.82 meters by 3.74 meters.
Sabalenka's side of the court will thus be reduced by 9%, a decision based on studies indicating that, on average, women move about 9% slower than men.
Among the other rules applied for this exhibition, Kyrgios will only have one service ball.
