Eva Lys has declared the upcoming Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios match "a great publicity stunt" because it is drawing a lot of attention, but adds she will wait until the Battle of the Event finishes to give her final verdict.
Heading into the Sabalenka and Kyrgios showdown that is due to take place on December 28th in Dubai, there is a lot of excitement but also a lot of controversy surrounding the match. On one side, the tennis public is excited about seeing the top-ranked female tennis star agreeing to play against a male player. On the other side, there is a side of the public who is strongly opposing the match, arguing that it could "damage women's tennis."
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Lys, who enjoyed a breakthrough season on the Tour this year, admits she has "mixed feelings" about it. However, the top-ranked German female tennis player noted that Sabalenka has been doing some nice things for women's tennis.
Lys: Sabalenka and Kyrgios are the perfect match for the Battle of the Sexes
"I have mixed feelings about it, but overall, I think Aryna Sabalenka is very good for women's tennis. She pushes boundaries and has unusual moments in this sport," Lys told Sport 1.
It is no secret that it is a great publicity stunt to attract more attention to tennis. With whom else could something like this be achieved? With Nick Kyrgios, of course. I think they are the perfect match. You have to take it with a grain of salt. Tennis is still taken too seriously. You see matches like this in all other sports that are not taken so seriously. We will have to wait and see what the reactions are. I can't say if it will be great for the sport or controversial, but it is a start to popularize it in some way.
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Last week, Sabalenka stated that her match against Kyrgios could only get women's tennis to "a higher level," and not damage it.
Kyrgios also had a message for the critics, telling them to "sit back and enjoy the match."
