Aryna Sabalenka teased Nick Kyrgios ahead of their Battle of the Sexes match as the WTA world No. 1 called the 2022 Wimbledon finalist "naughty."
With just more than 20 days before their highly anticipated clash in Dubai, Sabalenka and Kyrgios met and took some selfies together. In the two pictures uploaded by the Australian to his Instagram account, the eight-time ATP champion looks serious, while the 27-year-old Belarusian looks goofy.
"Naughty or nice," the Australian captioned his Instagram post.
In the comment section, the Belarusian wrote: "You picked the best pics lol, Definitely naughty (devil emoji)."
Sabalenka's warning for Kyrgios
A bombshell dropped during the US Open when a report came out claiming that a Sabalenka and Kyrgios match had been in the works. When asked about it in New York, the two players indicated that the rumors were true.
Then, in early November, an official confirmation and details came out. Sabalenka will take on Kyrgios on December 28th in Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena. And in her statement, the four-time Grand Slam champion warned the Australian that she would be out there determined to beat him.
I have so much respect for Billie Jean King and what she has done for the women's game. I'm proud to represent women's tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic Battle of the Sexes match. Dubai is my home, and I know this city loves big, entertaining events. I have a lot of respect for Nick and his talent, but make no mistake, I'm ready to bring my A-game. I can't wait to step on that court at the Coca-Cola Arena and put on an incredible show for the fans," Sabalenka said after the match was officially confirmed.
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Meanwhile, Kyrgios admitted in one of his interviews that he would feel a lot of pressure to deliver against Sabalenka since he would be representing men's tennis.
