Nick Kyrgios hits back at criticism of Aryna Sabalenka match

Kyrgios fired back at Stubbs, and now the seven-time ATP champion has taken another swipe at anyone else who shares a similar viewpoint.

Posting a photo of himself alongside Sabalenka, Kyrgios added on his Instagram story: “By the way, all the negative comments towards the Battle of the Sexes are doing nothing but giving it more attention.

“At the end of the day, Aryna will go down as one of the greatest players to play this game. I will have entertained crowds around the world. We are two humans that are good friends who want to put on a show and get more eyes on tennis.

“Not all this other stuff – does this not look like tennis is going in the right direction? Sit back and enjoy the show.

Questions surrounding the Nick Kyrgios vs Aryna Sabalenka Battle of the Sexes match

Kyrgios is confident that this match will be a big draw, and there’s little doubt he’s right. It’s already generating plenty of buzz, and we’re still weeks away from seeing them on court.

He’s never far from the headlines, while Sabalenka is currently sitting at the top of the women’s game. Naturally, it was always going to get people talking.

The format does put more pressure on her. A loss could be used to undermine women’s tennis, while a win might just lead to claims that Kyrgios wasn’t playing seriously.

From that perspective, it makes sense why some are questioning what she stands to gain beyond the payday.