Aryna Sabalenka admitted it felt "different" to play on a reduced-size court and also noted that playing against a man was "a completely different tennis."
The organizers of the latest Battle of the Sexes version decided to do something differently so they made the Belarusian's side of the court 9 percent smaller in both width and length.
The move was made to benefit Sabalenka but it also looked a bit awkward at times. For example, when Sabalenka was serving, she would stand a few feet behind her baseline so she could serve from where she usually does.
It wasn't easy for Kyrgios either, whose margin for error was lesser than usually.
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Also, it is worth mentioning that each player only had one serve. In the end, Sabalenka managed to break Kyrgios three times - but also lost her serve five times - as the Australian sealed a 6-3 6-3 win.
Sabalenka: The court felt different, as well as playing against a guy
Of course it felt different. The court is different. I had to do a couple adjustments. Obviously playing against a guy is completely different tennis. Everything much faster. It was a great fitness for me today. I hope for the next couple days Ill have great recovery and great days off. After this match, Im pretty much ready for the season. I hope Ill bring great tennis and bring joy to the people watching me during the season," the reigning US Open champion explained.
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After concluding her highly-anticipated match against Kyrgios, Sabalenka will hop on a plane and fly to Australa.
The Belarusian tennis star is scheduled to kick off her season at the Brisbane International for the third consecutive year. In Brisbane, the world No. 1 finished as runner-up in 2024 before collecting the title in the 2025 tournament edition.
Sabalenka could face some pretty strong names in the very first week of 2026 as Elena Rybakina, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva are also set to play.
