"As if participating in 'Battle of the Sexes' with an abuser wasn’t bad enough" - Fans slam Aryna Sabalenka for controversial trans athlete take

Aryna Sabalenka is never one to hold back her opinions, but her recent comments about transgender athletes stirred up significant controversy. Fans reacted immediately, criticizing the Belarusian and saying they were shocked she would make such remarks.

Sabalenka is currently in New York, where she played an exhibition match at Madison Square Garden against Naomi Osaka. The two took the court after a three-set battle between Nick Kyrgios and Tommy Paul, and the World No. 1 went on to beat Osaka in straight sets.

While in the American city, Sabalenka joined Piers Morgan for an interview alongside Kyrgios. When asked about transgender athletes competing in women’s tennis, she said she had "nothing" against them personally but felt it wasn’t “fair” for women to compete against “biological men.”

"I have nothing against them, but I feel like they still have a huge advantage over women," Aryna Sabalenka said. "I think it's just not fair to women to basically face biological men. It's not fair. The women work their whole life to reach her limit, and then she has to face a man, which is biologically much stronger. So. for me, I don't agree with this kind of stuff in sport."

Fans were furious and took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize Aryna Sabalenka, mostly for discussing these issues while preparing for the 'Battle of the Sexes' match against Nick Kyrgios, who is not exactly known for having the best reputation in tennis. One user wrote:

"Spreading harmful propaganda (the words she chose to talk about trans women say it all) next to an abuser and on the show of a bigot, great job representing women's tennis."

"Just pathetic and embarrassing. talking about what's fair to women while sitting beside a man found guilty of abusing women like this is ridiculous," another wrote.

"Attacking trans women out of the blue cause their existence in sports is "unfair to women" while sitting next to an abuser, one thing misogynists will have is the AUDACITY," one account posted.

One user commented:

"She‘s such a terrible image for women’s tennis. imagine being the World No. 1 and sitting next to an abuser. It's so embarrassing and honestly really disappointing for the sport."

"As if participating in this battle of the sexes farce with an admitted abuser and fervent misogynist wasn’t bad enough, she drops this stinker. lenka can join terftilova and rublev in hell for contributing to the vilification of trans women in sports," another joined in.

"Sat next to a domestic abuser talking about what's fair and unfair for women is insane," one user tweeted.

---

Aryna Sabalenka & Nick Kyrgios send warnings to each other ahead of 'Battle of the Sexes’ showdown

Aryna Sabalenka shakes hands with Nick Kyrgios at The Garden Cup 2025 | Image Source: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka is now gearing up to face Nick Kyrgios in a 'Battle of the Sexes' exhibition at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on December 28, an event organized by their agency Evolve. The four-time Grand Slam champion has faced a lot of criticism for agreeing to the match.

Before the event even takes place, Kyrgios has already sent a warning to Sabalenka, saying he wouldn’t even need to try at "100%" to beat her. The Aussie said back in September:

"She's not going to beat me. Do you really think I have to try 100 percent?"

Sabalenka was quick to fire back at Kyrgios, saying:

"Nick, you better be ready. I'm gonna kick your a**. I've got some little tricks up my sleeve."

Aryna Sabalenka had a spectacular 2025 season, winning four titles including a Grand Slam at the US Open, reaching the finals of the French Open and the Australian Open, and finishing the year as World No. 1. Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios spent most of the year on the sidelines, playing only four tournaments, and is now looking to close out his career on his own terms.