Australian Olympian Georgie Parker believes Aryna Sabalenka has done a ‘massive and arrogant disservice’ to female athletes, as debates around equality in sport have raged in the wake of her Battle of the Sexes match defeat by Nick Kyrgios.
The women’s world No 1 suffered a 6-3 6-3 defeat by the former Wimbledon men’s singles finalist in Dubai, with many left wondering what the match has achieved for the sport.
While both players are set to land a big payday, some also questioned what Sabalenka gained from facing the perpetually injured Kyrgios, who has plunged to No 671 in the ATP Tour rankings.
Parker, who represented the Australian women’s hockey team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Rio Olympics, believes Sabalenka’s involvement in the exhibition match has ‘set the argument for equality back by years’.
‘Aryna Sabalenka has done a massive and arrogant disservice to female athletes around the world,’ Parker wrote in her column for The Nightly.
‘This match – played on a modified court in Dubai – did nothing for women athletes who have fought for equal pay, respect, and opportunity. Instead, it has reinforced the tired, lazy narrative that women’s sport is inherently inferior to men’s.’
Australian Olympian Georgie Parker believes Aryna Sabalenka (left) has done a ‘massive and arrogant disservice’ to female athletes after her Battle of the Sexes defeat by Nick Kyrgios (right) on Sunday
Parker (pictured, right, with Novak Djokovic) stated the match has ‘reinforced the tired, lazy narrative that women’s sport is inherently inferior to men’s’
The women’s world No 1 (pictured) suffered a 6-3 6-3 defeat by the former Wimbledon men’s singles finalist in Dubai, with many wondering what the Belarusian gained from the match
Sabalenka’s side of the court had been reduced in size by nine per cent, with organisers hoping that forcing Kyrgios to aim for a smaller target would ensure a more level playing field.
Kyrgios’ last game on the ATP Tour came in March, when he was beaten by Karen Khachanov at the ATP Masters in Miami. Khachanov was interestingly in Sabalenka’s coaches’ corner during the match.
It was clear that Kyrgios was struggling with his fitness towards the latter stages of the match, with the Aussie star’s shirt being soaked with sweat, raising more questions over whether he should be given a wildcard for the upcoming Australian Open.
Parker, who also paused to praise Sabalenka as one of the best players in world tennis, added that had the Belarusian defeated Kyrgios, it would not have made the outcome of the bizarre exhibition match look any better for the sport.
‘Beating a man who doesn’t train, doesn’t compete, and doesn’t take the sport seriously isn’t some great feminist victory. There was never going to be a winner here – except Sabalenka’s bank account,’ Parker wrote.
The Aussie hockey great, who won 108 international caps for Australia, explained how her team used to train with male athletes, adding that many other female sports stars do.
Parker said the Australian women’s hockey team would play matches against a team of U18 male players. While the female hockey players had a vastly superior game IQ and more skill than their opponents, she noted that the scoreline would not always read in her team’s favour, stating that their male counterparts could beat them using their strength and speed.
‘I’d argue the greatest moments in sport aren’t about pure power or speed, they are based on skills and smarts. They’re the beautiful moments of outplaying your opponent under pressure and finding a way to win,’ she wrote.
Kyrgios’ last game on the ATP Tour came in March, when he was beaten by Karen Khachanov at the ATP Masters in Miami
The Aussie hockey great, Parker, (pictured) added that the ‘only winner was Sabalenka’s bank account’
Sabalenka had entered the court wearing a glittery trench coat, with the speakers at the Coca-Cola arena blaring the song ‘Eye of the Tiger’
‘That is the argument female athletes have been making for decades.
‘Women’s sport is not men’s sport. It’s different. It’s the same but it’s different.’
In the UK, the BBC has faced backlash for broadcasting what’s been dubbed as a ‘farce’ by fans online, with some claiming it was ‘dispiriting’ that the network was showing the clash.
One added that the event was ‘cheapening the sport and fundamentally betraying the legacy of Billie Jean King.’
Many from around the world tuned in to watch the sporting event, with football icons Ronaldo and Kaka seen arriving at the Coca-Cola Arena to watch the match.
Sabalenka noted the interest that the exhibition event has garnered and said after the match she believes the Battle of the Sexes clash will have increased tennis’ exposure around the world.
‘Pretty big people were messaging me, wishing me all the best, and saying that they were going to be watching from all different areas of life,’ she said.
‘So I feel like we just brought more attention to our sport and I don’t see how it can be bad or how you can talk negatively about this.
‘The idea behind it is to help our sport grow and show tennis from a different side. That tennis events can be more fun and more entertaining and we can make it almost as big as a Grand Slam. I think the attention that built up to this event was not less than a Grand Slam final.’
