Aryna Sabalenka keen to play Nick Kyrgios in ‘Battle of the Sexes’ event

Defending champion Sabalenka will bid for the fourth Grand Slam singles title of her career on Saturday, having also won the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024.

Kyrgios, who reached a career high 13th in 2016, has only played five matches this year since returning from a serious wrist injury that kept him out for 18 months.

He has not played on the ATP Tour since losing in the Miami Open second round in March.

“It’s going to be a good thing if I’m able to [beat] him, but we are not sure about the place,” Sabalenka added.

“If we’re going to bring it, we’re going to bring it to somewhere where it’s going to be a lot of people watching and we’re gonna put a lot of pressure on Nick.”

Three official matches labelled as the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ have taken place – most famously between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973.

American veteran Riggs beat Australia’s Margaret Court before King exacted revenge four months later.

In 1992, 40-year-old Jimmy Connors beat fellow Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, 35, under hybrid rules.