Iga Swiatek has dismissed the need for events like the recent “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition, arguing that women’s tennis no longer requires comparisons to the men’s game to prove its worth.
The world No. 2 made her comments ahead of the United Cup in Sydney, where she represents Poland in the mixed-team event that kicks off the 2026 season. Swiatek admitted she did not watch the December 28 match in Dubai between world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios, which Kyrgios won 6-3, 6-3 under modified rules.
The Dubai exhibition featured a court reduced by nine percent on Sabalenka’s side and limited both players to one serve per point, changes intended to offset physical differences. Kyrgios, ranked No. 671 after limited play due to injuries, prevailed in straight sets amid a lighthearted atmosphere that included dancing and underarm serves.
Swiatek saw the event as pure entertainment rather than anything meaningful. “I haven’t watched because I don’t watch stuff like that,” she told reporters. “It attracted a lot of attention. It was entertainment, but I wouldn’t say that had anything to do with social change or any important topics.”
She pointed out sharp differences from the historic 1973 match, when Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in a contest that helped legitimize the fledgling women’s professional tour and push for equal prize money. “The name was just the same as the one from the Billie Jean King match in ’73. That’s it,” Swiatek said. “There were no more similarities because women’s tennis stands on its own right now.”
Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, emphasized the strength of the current women’s game. “We have so many great athletes and great stories to present,” she said. “We don’t necessarily need to compare to men’s tennis. Honestly, there doesn’t need to be any competition.”
Instead, she praised formats that bring the tours together without direct gender confrontations in singles. The United Cup, now in its fourth year, features ties with one men’s singles, one women’s singles, and a mixed doubles match. Teams from 18 nations compete in Perth and Sydney, with group winners and best runners-up advancing to the quarterfinals.
“Events like this one, the United Cup, bring tennis together,” Swiatek said. “WTA fans and ATP fans can watch this event with so much excitement. Seeing singles players who usually don’t have space to play mixed doubles together—I think this is what makes our sport much more interesting and better.”
Poland opens against Germany, with Swiatek scheduled to face Eva Lys in women’s singles and Hubert Hurkacz taking on Alexander Zverev in men’s singles.
Sabalenka, who defended her participation in Dubai as a way to keep tennis fresh and fun, expressed interest in a rematch. “I think I would definitely do it again,” she said earlier this week. “I love revenge and I don’t like to leave it the way it is.”
The Dubai match drew criticism from some quarters for borrowing the “Battle of the Sexes” title without the same stakes, with observers calling it more spectacle than statement on equality. Swiatek’s view aligns with those who see the women’s tour as fully established, drawing massive audiences and producing top-level competition on its own terms.
As the Australian Open approaches—the only major Swiatek has yet to win—the 24-year-old Pole shifts focus to her season opener. Her stance underscores a broader confidence in the WTA’s independent appeal, even as exhibition formats continue to test new ways to blend the men’s and women’s games.
