Nick Kyrgios defeats Aryna Sabalenka – but what did the “Battle of the Sexes” achieve?

Sabalenka and Kyrgios’ attempts to justify the event faced severe criticism, especially from the tennis community.

Despite the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ moniker, it had little in common with Billie Jean King’s match against self-confessed chauvinist Bobby Riggs in 1973 – a time when women were denied equality in tennis and wider society.

Times have changed. Tennis has more gender equality than any other major sport.

So it looked more like YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul’s heavyweight bout against former world champion Anthony Joshua — an event designed to appeal to casual fans and blur the lines between serious sporting endeavors and frivolous entertainment.

Both players electrified the Dubai competition like a pair of boxers locked in a fight.

Sabalenka promised to “kick the nick” as she promoted the event on US chat shows, while Kyrgios insisted the raucous event would bring new eyes to the sport.

Both players will undoubtedly make big profits – although they declined to say how much they would earn.

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller said: “It would now be interesting to see more matches like this.”

“There are so many different types of tennis events around the world, and exhibitions are in demand, especially in cities that don’t host major tournaments.”

However, it seemed as if the fun factor was not up to what was expected.

There was often a flat atmosphere at Coca-Cola Arena, which has a capacity of 17,000 but was reduced to a smaller crowd with the upper tier closed.

Once the match started, any vote from the crowd was weighted in favor of Sabalenka. When the score moved in Kyrgios’s direction, the request was rejected.

Kyrgios promised that a string of celebrity names would add extra sparkle, although the only standouts were Brazilian soccer legends Ronaldo and Kaká, who entered midway through the first group to much fanfare.

As Kyrgios approached victory, cameras captured a young boy napping in his mother’s arms.

This could be the defining image of an event that continues to polarize opinion.