Tennis stars Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios defended their exhibition "Battle of the Sexes" match against widespread criticism, stating they don't understand the negativity. They argued the event, which Kyrgios won 6-3, 6-3, was intended to promote tennis and attract new audiences. Despite rule modifications designed to level the playing field, critics like Billie Jean King felt it trivialized the original 1973 match, while others called it a publicity stunt. Sabalenka and Kyrgios emphasized the entertainment value and positive attention it brought to the sport.