The Ukrainian had complained (then partially recanted) about the testosterone levels of some colleagues. Aryna’s response: “He lost to us top players. Stop.” And on the 28th in Dubai he challenges Kyrgios in the “challenge of the sexes”
“Many players have an advantage against me for biological reasons.” These words, pronounced at the end of the WTA season by Marta Kostyuk (1.75 m tall), had caused quite a bit of controversy. The Ukrainian had underlined how her statements, including complaining of a higher testosterone level than some of her opponents, had been taken out of context. An attempt to tone down the controversy, but the die was cast. And the world no.1 Aryna Sabalenka, teased in an interview, returned to the topic. With tones that, despite the world no.26’s attempts to lower the bar, are very decisive: “What I hear from Kostyuk are all excuses.”
Answer
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Sabalenka never tells her anything and even in this case, in an interview with Nick Kyrgios and Piers Morgan, she was happy to express what she thinks without mincing words: “Marta probably has more muscles than me, she is a fit and very strong girl. I don’t think that physical disadvantages have influenced the matches she lost against the top players”. For the record, Kostyuk has a 1-7 record in 2025 against top-10 players, and two of her seven losses have come against Sabalenka.
Advantages and transgender
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Still on the subject of biological advantages, the Belarusian’s attention was also brought to a much-discussed topic, especially in the USA, such as that of transgender athletes and their possibility of competing against other players in official competitions. In tennis there was the case of Renee Richards (born Richard Raskind), who also boasted two finals on the major circuit in the 1970s as the first transgender tennis player in history. On the issue, Sabalenka expressed herself bluntly: “I have nothing against transgender women, but I think they have a very big advantage against us. I don’t think a woman should play against a biological man, I don’t agree.”
Battle of the sexes
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Yet as much of a performance as it is, Sabalenka will face a man in a new “battle of the sexes.” The media coverage is not comparable to the match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs on 20 September 1973, but there is a lot of curiosity about the match that will see the Belarusian oppose Nick Kyrgios, who has sunk to no. 673 in the world and with only five matches played in 2025. The two will compete in Dubai on 28 December, with the world no. 1’s half court being 9% smaller (according to Evolve, which organizes the exhibition, the female players move about 9% slower than their colleagues). The match will take place two sets out of three, and in the event of a decisive partial, a tie-break will be played with the best of 10 points; both will be able to serve only once, without a second time. Sabalenka, to turn on the spotlight and provoke a little, already threw down the gauntlet towards the match a few days ago: “I know I will beat Kyrgios”.
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