Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek says tennis didn’t want the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka as the ladies’s recreation “stands by itself”.
Ladies’s primary Sabalenka and male participant Kyrgios confronted off in a extremely publicised exhibition in Dubai every week in the past.
Kyrgios gained the match – performed on a modified court docket designed to offer a degree taking part in discipline – in straight units.
However Swiatek says tennis has come a great distance for the reason that unique ‘Battle of the Sexes’ between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973 which highlighted the ladies’s recreation combating for legitimacy and prize cash.
“I have never watched [Sabalenka v Kyrgios] as a result of I do not watch stuff like that,” the world quantity two stated.
“I feel for certain it attracted lots of consideration. It was leisure, however I would not say that had something to do with social change or any vital subjects.
“I feel the title was simply the identical because the one from the Billie Jean King match in ’73. That is it. There have been no extra similarities as a result of I really feel like girls’s tennis stands by itself proper now.
“We have now so many nice athletes and nice tales to current, we do not essentially want to match to males’s tennis.
“Actually, there would not have to be any competitors.”
Swiatek stated the mixed-team United Cup – which acquired underneath approach in Australia on Friday – is a greater approach to rejoice males’s and ladies’s tennis.
Ties on the United Cup comprise of 1 males’s and one girls’s singles match and a blended doubles.
“Occasions like this one, United Cup, brings tennis collectively, and WTA followers and ATP followers can watch this occasion with a lot pleasure,” she stated.
“Seeing additionally singles gamers that normally do not have house to play blended doubles collectively, taking part in these sort of matches, I feel that is truly what makes our sport rather more attention-grabbing and higher.”
Emma Raducanu and Billy Harris are representing Nice Britain on the event and play their first recreation in opposition to Japan in Perth on Sunday.
