World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka has responded strongly to Marta Kostyuk’s earlier claims that top WTA players, including herself, benefit from higher testosterone levels. The Belarusian dismissed the Ukrainian’s comments during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, where she was joined by ATP star Nick Kyrgios ahead of their upcoming “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition in Dubai.
Sabalenka’s response
Sabalenka was blunt in her assessment of Kostyuk’s remarks, suggesting that the Ukrainian’s struggles against elite opponents were not due to physical differences. “That’s so funny that we even talk about someone like Marta Kostyuk’s comments but all I hear here is just excuses, and it’s actually quite funny because she’s a strong girl. She probably has more muscles than I do and she looks fit and strong and that’s not the case in all of the matches she lost against top players,” Sabalenka said.
Kyrgios adds his perspective
Nick Kyrgios supported Sabalenka’s position by pointing to examples from men’s tennis. “I’m trying to debunk that like, someone like John Isner or Ivo Karlovic was a fair bit bigger than Roger Federer but…” Kyrgios said, noting how Federer consistently overcame physically imposing opponents through skill and finesse.
The bikini clapback
Piers Morgan teased Sabalenka about her Instagram posts, which featured her in bikinis shortly after Kostyuk’s comments. Sabalenka confirmed the posts were intentional, aimed at countering the narrative. “Just wanted to make sure that she sees the real picture,” she concluded.
A heated build-up to Dubai
The exchange has added intrigue to the upcoming exhibition match between Sabalenka and Kyrgios. With both players unafraid to speak their minds, the “Battle of the Sexes” promises not only entertainment on court but also a continuation of the fiery debates surrounding gender, strength, and competition in tennis.
Aryna Sabalenka in 2025
At the moment ranked no.1, the Belarussian played her last match on the 8th of November when she lost to world no.5 Elena Rybakina 6-3 7-6(0) in the final in Riyadh (draw).
This season Sabalenka owns a composed 63-12 match record. The Belarussian clinched 4 titles in 2025 in Brisbane, Miami, Madrid and U.S. Open. Aryna was the finalist at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Stuttgart, French Open and Riyadh.
Marta Kostyuk in 2025
Currently ranked no.26, Kostyuk played her last match on the 7th of October when she lost to world no.19 Karolina Muchova 2-6 6-2 6-4 in the 1st round in Wuhan (draw).
This season Kostyuk owns a composed 28-20 win-loss record.
Aryna Sabalenka and Marta Kostyuk fought against each other 4 times. Their head to head is 4-0 for Sabalenka.