Alize Cornet ripped the court dimensions for the Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios match as "absolutely ridiculous."
In early November, Evolve - an agency representing the Belarusian and the Australian - confirmed that the two would clash on December 28th in Dubai.
Later, the organizers also revealed that the match wouldn't be played under standard rules. Sabalenka's side of the court has been reduced by 9 percent - each player will have only one serve - and a possible third set would be a match tie-break.
The reactions to it were mixed as some would have preferred to see the top-ranked WTA player and the 2022 Wimbledon finalist clash in a standard format. Also, some argue that this couldn't be considered anymore the real Battle of the Sexes.
Cornet, a six-time WTA champion and former world No. 11, thinks the Sabalenka and Kyrgios match has been purely made for entertainment purposes. And while the Frenchwoman is "curious" to see how it all goes, she admits she is not too impressed with some of the rules.
Cornet: I find shortening the court for Sabalenka ridiculous
Im waiting to see, with a bit of curiosity, but not too much either, because I think its actually a huge PR stunt. I get the feeling that its all about the promotion and that, in the end, the tennis itself comes second. These new rules especially the one about shortening the court for Sabalenka I find absolutely ridiculous. As for the serving rule, that I can understand with a player like Nick Kyrgios, who can hit four aces in a game. If you want to give the fans some entertainment, you dont want it to be all aces, Cornet told RMC Sport.
Speaking before the match, Sabalenka noted that having the court reduced would be to her advantage and added that she would be super aggressive against Kyrgios.
On the other side, Kyrgios admitted to feeling nervous but also excited about the challenge.
