What had been promoted as a bold, boundary-pushing tennis spectacle ultimately unfolded more like a polished exhibition than the high-voltage showdown it was billed to be. In Dubai, Nick Kyrgios emerged victorious over Aryna Sabalenka in a highly anticipated mixed-gender match, winning 6–3 6–3 under a set of modified rules designed to level the playing field.
Sabalenka, the reigning world No. 1 and a four-time Grand Slam champion, arrived in peak competitive form. Kyrgios, by contrast, entered the event ranked outside the top 600, having spent recent seasons battling injuries that derailed his career following a run to the Wimbledon final in 2022.