Today, 28 December 2025, the global tennis spotlight turns to Dubai, but the real audience is spread across cities like London, where millions are tuning in to watch Aryna Sabalenka take on Nick Kyrgios in the most controversial exhibition match of the modern era — the Battle of the Sexes.
The match begins at 3:45 pm London time (GMT) and is being broadcast live on BBC One, turning a winter Sunday afternoon into one of the biggest tennis events Britain will see outside Wimbledon. From Fulham to Canary Wharf, sports bars are filling up for a showdown that mixes elite sport, celebrity culture and a deep argument about gender, fairness and power in tennis. This is not a normal exhibition. It is a global television spectacle, staged in front of 17,000 fans at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena and watched by millions in the UK and beyond.
This is the first time in more than 50 years that a reigning women’s world No.1 has been placed in a head-to-head Battle of the Sexes format against a male star. The original in 1973, when Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs, became a turning point for women’s sport.
Today’s version is driven by broadcasters, sponsorship and social media — but the symbolism remains. Sabalenka is stepping on court not as a novelty act, but as the most dominant player in the women’s game. Kyrgios, meanwhile, arrives as a global name whose recent career has been defined more by controversy than by wins. The tension between those two realities is exactly why today’s match has gripped the sport.
Sabalenka enters today as tennis’s most powerful figure
Aryna Sabalenka comes into today’s contest with a record that few players in the world can match. She has spent more than 70 weeks as world No.1, has won four Grand Slam titles, and defended her US Open crown earlier this season. On hard courts, her power and consistency have made her the dominant force of her generation. For Sabalenka, today is not about symbolism. It is about competition. She has made it clear she is there to play real tennis and to win.
Kyrgios brings volatility, fame and risk
Nick Kyrgios arrives today from a very different place. Injuries have limited him to just five official matches this year, and he is ranked far outside the elite. Yet he remains one of the most recognisable figures in tennis — a former Wimbledon finalist whose talent is matched only by his unpredictability.
For Kyrgios, today is about relevance. For Sabalenka, it is about authority. That contrast is what makes this match so compelling.
How today’s Battle of the Sexes is played
The match is being played under specially designed rules. Sabalenka’s side of the court is nine per cent smaller than Kyrgios’s, based on data about movement speed. Both players are restricted to one serve per point, reducing Kyrgios’s raw power advantage. If the match goes to a deciding set today, it will be settled by a 10-point champions’ tiebreak.
Supporters say these rules create balance. Critics say they distort reality. Either way, today’s contest is as much a psychological and tactical experiment as a sporting one.
Where and how to watch in London today
London viewers have full access to the match today thanks to the BBC.
TV
BBC One
- Studio build-up: 3:30 pm GMT
- First serve: 3:45 pm GMT
Online streaming
You can watch live today on:
BBC iPlayer
- Go to bbc.co.uk/iplayer
- Log in with a UK postcode
- Select BBC One Live
or
BBC Sport Live Player
- bbc.co.uk/sport → Watch Live
Both show the same broadcast as BBC One.
Best London sports bars showing it live today
The Three Kings – Fulham
171 North End Road, London W14 9NL
One of London’s most famous sports pubs, with dozens of HD screens and sound on for major tennis events. Sabalenka vs Kyrgios will be shown live from 3:45 pm GMT today.
The Famous Three Kings – Kensington
171 North End Road, London W14 9NL
Next door to The Three Kings, this venue offers a more international crowd and large projection screens for global sporting events like today’s match.
Sports Bar & Grill – Canary Wharf
1 Crossrail Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AR
A modern sports bar with huge screens, table service and food, perfect for watching the BBC broadcast starting at 3:45 pm GMT today.
This is one of the rare tennis events shown live on BBC One outside Wimbledon, meaning it reaches a mass British audience. Combined with the star power of Sabalenka and Kyrgios, the controversial format and the perfect Sunday afternoon time slot, today’s match has become one of the most watched tennis broadcasts of the winter. On 28 December 2025, tennis is not just being played in Dubai — it is being debated, judged and watched across London.
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