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\n Related: <\/span>Aryna Sabalenka Breaks Down, Shades Elena Rybakina After WTA Finals Loss<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tAryna Sabalenka fell just short of the biggest single payday in women\u2019s tennis history, losing to Elena Rybakina in the WTA Finals on Saturday, November 8. After the match, cameras caught the player in tears while microphones picked up her trash talking her opponent. Sabalenka, 27, smashed her racket and receded to her chair after [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The 2025 \u201cBattle of the Sexes\u201d didn\u2019t quite hold the same weight, having more of an entertainment feel to it rather than a momentous, cultural and arguably political occasion.<\/p>\n
Despite the loss, Sabalenka alluded to potentially facing off against Kyrgios again.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally enjoyed the show,\u201d Sabalenka said after the match. \u201cAnd I feel like next time I play him I\u2019m going to know the tactics, his strengths and his weaknesses, and it\u2019s going to be a better match, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sabalenka\u2019s play earned her some kind words from Kyrgios, who was visibly exhausted after the match.<\/p>\n\n![\"GettyImages-2253820854](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2253820854-tennis-battle-of-the-sexes.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all\")
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\n Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios<\/span> Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cShe\u2019s an amazing athlete, when she was moving side to side she was playing shots that some of the top men play,\u201d he said on the court after the match. \u201cI\u2019m not surprised, I\u2019ve seen her play and we have practiced a couple of times. She was right there, it could have gone either way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kyrgios currently ranks No. 671 in men\u2019s singles and has only played five matches in 2025 as he recovers from injury. He was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was nervous,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think many people would have put their hand up to be in this position. The score line was close, I was under the pump there. I was nervous, this is all the world was talking about for the last six months. I couldn\u2019t even use my right hand a year, 18 months ago. I\u2019m glad to even be back out here and play, honestly it\u2019s pretty emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sabalenka, on the other hand, is ranked No. 1 on the women\u2019s side and is coming off a US Open championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy putting myself in this situation, playing a guy, I\u2019m inspiring the next generation [of women] to be great, to challenge yourself, to be strong,\u201d Sabalenka said in a news conference earlier this week.<\/p>\n
On social media, fans didn\u2019t seem too impressed with the competition.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios<\/span> Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s an amazing athlete, when she was moving side to side she was playing shots that some of the top men play,\u201d he said on the court after the match. \u201cI\u2019m not surprised, I\u2019ve seen her play and we have practiced a couple of times. She was right there, it could have gone either way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kyrgios currently ranks No. 671 in men\u2019s singles and has only played five matches in 2025 as he recovers from injury. He was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was nervous,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think many people would have put their hand up to be in this position. The score line was close, I was under the pump there. I was nervous, this is all the world was talking about for the last six months. I couldn\u2019t even use my right hand a year, 18 months ago. I\u2019m glad to even be back out here and play, honestly it\u2019s pretty emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sabalenka, on the other hand, is ranked No. 1 on the women\u2019s side and is coming off a US Open championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy putting myself in this situation, playing a guy, I\u2019m inspiring the next generation [of women] to be great, to challenge yourself, to be strong,\u201d Sabalenka said in a news conference earlier this week.<\/p>\n
On social media, fans didn\u2019t seem too impressed with the competition.<\/p>\n
![\"GettyImages-2234068776](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2234068776-Aryna-Sabalenka-Shares-Message-For-Amanda-Anisimova-After-U.S.-Open-Final--e1757211383208.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=400%2C225&quality=40&strip=all\")
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