Sabalenka on the Battle of the Sexes: "It's a Fantastic Message for Girls"
Facing Nick Kyrgios, the Australian, she sees beyond just the match: a strong signal for women's tennis, as she explains in a press conference (reported by our colleagues at L’Équipe).
"I don't know what to expect and that's what I love. It's that feeling we seek, and I love challenging myself. It's a huge challenge to play against Nick, an unpredictable and crazy guy. It's also a fantastic message for girls.
I hope they will watch and see how strong and determined I am to have the courage to take on such a challenge by facing a man."
She then concludes by comparing their duel to the one between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973:
"They were fighting for different things. We are here to take tennis to another level, to draw attention to our sport and help it grow."
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When qualifying becomes a show: the transformation of Opening Week in Melbourne and Paris 
From a fight for equality to a media spectacle: the history of the “Battle of the Sexes” 
The digital era of tennis: stakes and influence of social networks on players 
