LAST CHANCE: SHELTON THREATENS KYRGIOS AND SABALENKA “STAY OUT OF MY BUSINESS OR GET HURT”
Ben Shelton has declared Aryna Sabalenka “the best player” in women’s tennis and expects Nick Kyrgios to have “a tough” job when he meets the Belarusian tennis star in the Battle of the Sexes.
Last weekend, Shelton, Kyrgios, Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka went to Atlanta for an exhibition event. After two singles matches, the participants also played a mixed doubles match as Shelton teamed up with Sabalenka, while Kyrgios shared the same side of the net with Osaka.
After the event was over, the Australian and the Belarusian appeared as guests on Piers Morgan Uncensored to discuss their upcoming match, scheduled for December 28th in Dubai.
This year, Sabalenka went a full season as the world No. 1 – made three Grand Slam finals – and won her fourth Grand Slam title at the US Open. On the other side, Kyrgios appeared in just five main-level matches – with his last coming at the Miami Masters. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist is currently ranked at No. 672 in the world.
Sharing his thoughts on the upcoming Battle of the Sexes, Shelton admitted that he plans to watch the match. And he also showed some respect for the current WTA world No. 1.
Shelton: It is going to be tough for Kyrgios against the best player in the world, Sabalenka
“I was with both of them last weekend and it’s going to be tough for him. You know, he has a court that I think is, I think, 9% smaller. He only has one serve, she has two. And obviously, she’s the best player in the world right now. She’s very strong from the baseline. You’re taking away the weapon of his first serve. So I think it’s going to be an interesting match. It’s definitely something I would tune into,” Shelton told Front Office Sports.
Sabalenka noted that she would do her best to beat the Australian, while the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up admitted to feeling “a lot of pressure” but also feeling excited about the match
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Czech tennis legend Petra Kvitova overwhelmed with emotions at awards night
The Czech Republic is known as a country that has produced many talented athletes, including tennis players. Petra Kvitova is certainly one of the most important sports figures from this country, and her successes year after year are the reason why she is so loved, not only in the Czech Republic, but also around the world.
Petra Kvitova ended her career this year, but attending the ‘Zlatý kanár’ ceremony, she was filled with emotions during and after the ceremony.
Namely, this traditional ceremony is organized by the Czech Tennis Association and the local magazine Tenis. Awards were given to the best players of 2025.
Petra Kvitova has dominated the tennis scene for years, representing the Czech Republic on the big international stage. People often remembered her contributions to the sport and expressed their gratitude.
Attending the ceremony for the first time as a former player, she emphasized that she felt a lot of emotions, especially when a video showing her life since childhood was shown.
“It was very nice, especially how well they edited it from childhood. Of course, now hormones are messing with me even more than usual, so it was even more touching,” she said, as quoted by Tennis Up To Date.
ADVERTISEMENT“There was also a picture of my parents. How proud they were when I won Wimbledon for the first time. I appreciate it very much.”
Petr Palá
The two-time Wimbledon champion was a key figure in the Czech Fed Cup team.
During the ceremony, former players paid tribute to Petr Palá, who stepped down as captain this year. Kvitová has only fond memories of Petr, as she and her former teammates achieved great results for the Czech Republic together with him.
Kvitová emphasizes that the Czech Republic has a wealth of quality male and female players and believes that the sport in the country will continue to grow in the future and will produce a large number of talents.
“I thought it was very nice that both the older and the new generation said goodbye to Petr like that. When we went, I didn’t even know we would all go, but it was beautiful. Petr and I started the Fed Cup together and now we finish it together, which is great.”- she concluded.
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