Photo: AMR ALFIKY / AFP

Nick Kyrgios beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 6-3 in a "Battle of the Sexes" exhibition match billed as a modern take on Billie Jean King's famous win over Bobby Riggs over 50 years ago, but one that ignited controversy over its relevance and meaning.

The clash between four-times Grand Slam champion Sabalenka and former world number 13 Kyrgios was billed as entertainment but critics warned that it risked reducing women's tennis to a sideshow and trivialising its progress toward equality.

The match that gave the event its name was the 1973 "Battle of the Sexes"

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