‘Battle of the Sexes’ – compelling or concerning?

Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka and former men’s Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios have agreed to tennis’s latest iteration of the Battle of the Sexes.

The event, which will take place in late December in Dubai, will be the latest such contest to take place, following Billie Jean King’s high-profile victory over 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in 1973, which is widely considered a watershed moment for the women’s game in its bid to gain greater recognition and funding.

Sabalenka, who has dominated women’s tennis in recent years, winning four major titles, has said that she “has a lot of respect” for the Australian, but is “ready to bring [her] A-game.” Kyrgios, who has been ranked as high as 13th in the world, has endured a different career trajectory lately, having been plagued by injuries in recent seasons, following an impressive run to the Wimbledon final in 2022.

This latest iteration of a much-fabled contest provides plenty of intrigue but has also sparked much debate. Sabalenka has said that she is “proud to represent women’s tennis” in a modern iteration of the Battle of the Sexes, and has expressed belief that she can beat her opponent. However, it is difficult to see much to gain for the top women’s player.

If she wins, then some may see it as a huge moment for women’s tennis, but others may claim she will have only beaten the injured 652nd-best men’s player. If she loses, then it will be seen by many as an affirmation that men’s tennis is a superior product.

From a Christian perspective, while the idea is interesting, it is surely a shame that there is such a prevalent need to constantly compare the respective “products” of men’s and women’s tennis. However, this is perhaps unsurprising given the obsession among many of the sporting elite to enable women to compete with men, perhaps culminating in trans inclusion in events leading up to and surrounding last summer’s Olympic Games.

We have seen appalling examples of women losing out on awards they have worked throughout their lives to win to biological males identifying as transgender women, while we have also seen examples of women’s health and safety being put at risk by putting them into combative sporting environments against biological males with far greater raw power and speed.

Worst of all, all this has been done in the name of equality - but an equality that sees women belittled, and their opportunity for achievement and personal safety put at risk hardly seems like genuine equality at all.

A complementarian perspective

The truth is that society’s view of men's and women’s sport is upside down and back to front, as the differences between the two should not be compared at all when discussing the merits of their respective performances, but embraced.

While so many in society insist that men and women should be treated exactly the same, which this example perhaps highlights, the reality is that God created men and women with differences; true equality recognises that comparisons between the two completely miss the point, as both sexes bring equal but different skills to the table in all aspects of life.

Therefore, the differences between how men and women play tennis should be enjoyed because the two sexes are different from each other and should therefore be treated a bit differently.

Concerning this example, men’s tennis is, and probably will always be, faster, stronger, and more physically bruising than its female equivalent. However, that does not make the women’s game a less worthwhile product: it should be viewed in its own right.

Let’s remember that it is not about comparing the two but revelling in the sporting excellence that both iterations of the game bring to the table, enjoying the very pinnacle of sporting ability that God has blessed the top male and female competitors with, in their respective environments.

It is not about who is better between the top men and women, but about the unique skills God has blessed both with, in their respective categories - meaning we do not and should never need a "battle of the sexes."