Former New York Jets and Giants kicker Jay Feely made headlines this week for his outspoken stance on male athletes competing against women. Feely, who is currently running for Congress in Arizona, weighed in on the recent “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka.
The exhibition match featured Sabalenka receiving adjustments intended to help level the playing field. Her side of the court was 10 percent smaller than her male counterpart’s, an advantage designed to compensate for physical differences. Feely referenced the match while making a broader point about men participating in women’s sports. He argued that such accommodations highlight inherent biological disparities.
Feely addressed the issue on X, criticizing what he described as hypocrisy from Democrats when defending the inclusion of biological males in women’s competitions. “Please don’t ever believe the absolute garbage coming from ignorant liberals that letting men compete with women isn’t unfair to the women,” Feely wrote.
The “Battle of the Sexes” label traces back to the iconic 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. King’s victory in straight sets became a landmark moment in sports history, helping fuel the growth of women’s professional tennis and advancing the push for equal pay and recognition.
In the modern version of the matchup, Kyrgios defeated Sabalenka in straight sets, though he was quick to credit her performance. Following the match, Kyrgios emphasized the competitiveness of the contest. “There’s nothing but positives that can be taken away from this,” he said. “I had to work for it. I had to sweat. It was not easy.”
Feely’s comments align with former President Donald Trump’s stance opposing male athletes competing in women’s sports. He pointed to the match as an example of why, in his view, such competitions remain fundamentally unequal despite rule adjustments.