Sports
Aryna Sabalenka to face Nick Kyrgios in Battle of the Sexes tennis showdown
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World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and 2022 Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios announced Tuesday that they will be playing in a “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match next month.
The two tennis stars will face off in a modified exhibition on Dec. 28 in Dubai in front of 17,000 fans at Coca-Cola Arena.
The name of the Sabalenka-Kyrgios exhibition was borrowed from the 1973 match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, which King won in straight sets in the Houston Astrodome.
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(Left) Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Polina Kudermetova of Russia in the second round of the women’s singles at the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, on Aug. 27, 2025. (Right) Nick Kyrgios of Australia plays during his match against James Duckworth of Australia and Aleksandar Vukic of Australia in the first round of the men’s doubles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on Jan. 16, 2025. (Mike Frey/Imagn Images;Mike Frey/Imagn Images)
The modifications are that Kyrgios will only get one serve, and that he would be hitting toward a smaller side of the court.
Since the end of the 2022 tennis season, Kyrgios has played in just five events, largely because of injuries — one in 2023 and four in 2025. He has since made a name for himself in the broadcast booth.
Nick Kyrgios returns the ball to Grigor Dimitrov during a match on Day 3 of the World Tennis League at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
TENNIS STAR ARYNA SABALENKA NEARLY STRIKES BALLBOY WITH RACKET THROW IN FRUSTRATING LOSS
“I cannot wait to get back out on court,” Kyrgios said in an Instagram story. “Honestly, I’m feeling amazing. I never thought I would be back in this position, being able to travel the world, see my fans and play some amazing tennis.”
Due to his lack of play, Kyrgios, who was once ranked as high as No. 13, is currently ranked No. 652.
Both players will also take part in an exhibition in New York on Dec. 8, but not against each other: Sabalenka will play Naomi Osaka, and Kyrgios will face Tommy Paul.
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, returns a shot against Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, during the women’s finals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
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Sabalenka is a four-time Grand Slam champion, including each of the last two U.S. Opens. She also made the final in both this year’s Australian and French Opens.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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North Carolina FC announced on Tuesday that it will not compete in the men’s USL Championship next season, and will instead file an application to join the USL’s proposed Division One league that will likely not begin play until 2028.
In a statement, NCFC said that “the application begins a formal process that could bring top-level professional soccer to Raleigh, supported by a long-term stadium plan and strong market infrastructure.”
The USL said in a statement that North Carolina’s franchise agreement ended after 2025, and that “The USL believes Raleigh has strong potential as a future Division One market if it meets the league’s professional standards, including a minimum 15,000-seat, purpose-built soccer stadium that will serve as an anchor for real estate development.”
The decision by NCFC to essentially go dormant for two seasons comes at an awkward time for the USL, which in addition to starting the Division One league that will sit atop the USL Championship, League One and League Two, is also attempting to implement a system of promotion/relegation.
The USL is also in the middle of negotiations with the USL Players Association on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for players in the USL Championship. The current CBA expires at the end of this year.
A source with knowledge of the situation said that all player contracts will be voided following the end of the season, allowing them to become free agents.
This creates a fraught situation for players who had multi-year contracts with North Carolina, as well as injured players who will no longer be covered by health insurance once the contracts are terminated, and will likely have to file workman’s compensation claims. The source estimated that there are around 10 players who will have the contracts terminated prematurely.
The source added that per the current CBA, NCFC players with multi-year contracts will get two months severance.
A club spokesperson told ESPN that NCFC “will follow the CBA and we’ll do everything we can to go above and beyond” in terms of aiding players.
NCFC’s chairman, Steve Malik, who has owned the club since 2015, also owns the NWSL’s North Carolina Courage, and has been attempting to build a soccer-specific stadium in the Raleigh area that should be shared by both teams since 2019. But despite some getting regulatory approvals, as well as acquiring the needed land, so far Malik hasn’t been able to secure the needed public financing for the stadium project to move forward.
The men’s team has also been plagued by poor attendance, averaging just 2,550 fans per game during the regular season. This ranked 21st out of 24 teams in the USL Championship. NCFC drew just 2,005 fans to last weekend’s playoff game against Loudon United.
NCFC has been in existence since 2006, having started life in the USL as the Carolina RailHawks, then moving to the North American Soccer League in 2009, and then returning to the USL in 2017. Malik moved the club down to USL League One in 2021, but then returned to the USL Championship in 2023.
NCFC is scheduled to play Rhode Island FC in the conference semifinals this Saturday.
THE CHAMPIONS!
We are back with some UEFA Champions League action as we get Matchday 4 underway with some great matches, such as Liverpool vs. Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich and Juventus vs. Sporting CP.
Enjoy our live updates for all of Tuesday’s matches.
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The Dallas Cowboys are bringing reinforcements for one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
The team acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals for a 2026 seventh-round pick, the Bengals announced Tuesday.
Wilson, 29, requested a trade amid a reduction in snaps. The linebacker is in the second year of a four-year contract extension he signed in July 2023. The deal was reportedly worth $36 million.
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Logan Wilson (55) of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on from the sideline during the national anthem prior to an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 16, 2025. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Wilson is in his sixth season in the NFL and has recorded more than 100 tackles in each of the last four seasons.
The linebacker goes from the Bengals, who allow the most yards per game in the NFL (426.6), to the Cowboys, who have allowed the second-most yards per game (397.4). The Cowboys are 3-5-1 despite having the fourth-highest scoring offense in football (29.2 points per game) because of their porous defense.
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither (59) and linebacker Logan Wilson (55) wrap up Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) for a sack in the third quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Nov. 17, 2024. (Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
On Monday, the Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals, 27-17, despite the team starting backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett. The veteran quarterback completed 21 of 31 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns.
Cardinals running backs Emari Demercado and Bam Knight both ran well, combining for 19 carries for 106 yards.
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Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson (55) and linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. (44) walk off the field at halftime against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 7, 2025. (Eric Hartline/Imagn Images)
Cowboys legend and ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman wondered if one player could make a substantial difference for the struggling defense. Five different opponents have scored their season-high in points against the Cowboys this season.
The team will find out if Wilson can help make a difference in two weeks, as the Cowboys have a bye this week. Their next game is against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) on Nov. 17.
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