Kyrgios, who is currently 671st in the men’s rankings, beat the four-time Grand Slam singles champion in straight sets.
Published On 28 Dec 202528 Dec 2025
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Nick Kyrgios has beaten women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the “Battle of the Sexes”, a highly-publicised showdown with modified rules that divided tennis fans.
Former Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios won 6-3, 6-3 in an exhibition match in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday that bore little resemblance to the era-defining 1973 encounter between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
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Back then, there was more at stake, with the nascent women’s professional tour, set up by King, fighting for its legitimacy and prize money for female players still far lower than it was for the men.
King, one of the all-time greats of the women’s game who was at the peak of her powers at age 29, saw off the 55-year-old Riggs, a top player in his day, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in Houston, Texas in the US.
On Sunday in Dubai in the UAE, each player received only one serve, and the dimensions of Sabalenka’s side of the court were nine percent smaller, in an attempt to restrict Kyrgios’s power and speed advantage.
Kyrgios has dropped to 671 in the rankings after playing just six ATP matches over the past three seasons, but the 30-year-old Australian still had enough to see off four-time Grand Slam singles champion Sabalenka, 27.
The maverick Australian was drenched in sweat and appeared out of breath in the second set after going 1-3 down, while his opponent danced to the music during a strategic time out. But he persevered to make it 3-3 after Belarusian Sabalenka sent a shot long.
Kyrgios, who shortened the points with cheeky drop shots and used variations on his serve to good effect, pulled away to seal the win on serve before sharing a warm hug with Sabalenka at the net.
“Honestly, it was a really tough match. She’s a hell of a competitor,” he said.
“I had to strap in because she was putting the pressure on, and ultimately, it was a really hard-fought battle.”
Sabalenka said she would “love” a rematch.
“I felt great. I put on a great fight. He was struggling. He was getting tired. I was happy to see that,” she said.
“It was a great level [of tennis]. I made a lot of great shots. I really enjoyed the show. I feel like next time when I play him, I know all his tactics and strengths.”
The annual food fight festival ”Els Enfarinats” has left the Spanish town of Ibi covered in flour and egg shells.
Every year participants wear military-style costumes and stage a fake coup using eggs, flour and firecrackers.
The eggers go around asking for “taxes” – donations to charity – from local people and if you don’t pay you could end up getting splatted.
The festival, held in the province of Alicante, is more than 200 years old and takes place on the 28 December each year to coincide with the Day of the Innocents – Spain’s equivalent of April Fools’ Day.
When the MetroCard replaced the New York City subway token in 1994, the swipeable plastic card infused much-needed modernity into one of the world’s oldest and largest transit systems.
Now, more than three decades later, the gold-hued fare card and its notoriously finicky magnetic strip are following the token into retirement.
The last day to buy or refill a MetroCard is Dec. 31, 2025, as the transit system fully transitions to OMNY, a contactless payment system that allows riders to tap their credit card, phone or other smart device to pay fares, much like they do for other everyday purchases.
Transit officials say more than 90% of subway and bus trips are now paid using the tap-and-go system, introduced in 2019.
Major cities around the world, including London and Singapore, have long used similar contactless systems. In the U.S., San Francisco launched a pay-go system earlier this year, joining Chicago and others.
MetroCards upended how New Yorkers commute
The humble MetroCard may have outlasted its useful life, but in its day it was revolutionary, says Jodi Shapiro, curator at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, which opened an exhibit earlier this month reflecting on the MetroCard’s legacy.
Before MetroCards, bus and subway riders relied on tokens, the brass-colored coins introduced in 1953 that were purchased from station booths. When the subway opened in 1904, paper tickets cost just a nickel, or about $1.82 in today’s dollars.
“There was a resistance to change from tokens to something else because tokens work,” Shapiro said on a recent visit to the museum, housed underground in a decommissioned subway station. “MetroCards introduced a whole other level of thinking for New Yorkers.”
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority launched public campaigns to teach commuters how to swipe the originally blue-colored cards correctly, hoping to avoid the dreaded error message or lost fares. Officials even briefly toyed with the idea of an quirky mascot, the Cardvaark, before coming to their senses.
The cards quickly became collectors items as the transit system rolled out special commemorative editions marking major events, such as the “Subway Series” between baseball’s New York Mets and the New York Yankees in the 2000 World Series. At the time, a fare cost $1.50.
Artists from David Bowie and Olivia Rodrigo to seminal New York hip hop acts, such as the Wu-Tang Clan, the Notorious B.I.G. and LL Cool J, have also graced the plastic card over the years, as have iconic New York shows like Seinfeld and Law & Order.
“For me, the most special cards are cards which present New York City to the world,” said Lev Radin, a collector in the Bronx. “Not only photos of landmarks, skylines, but also about people who live and make New York special.”
Perfecting the correct angle and velocity of the MetroCard swipe also became something of a point of pride separating real New Yorkers from those just visiting.
During her failed 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. Senator from New York, took an excruciating five swipes at a Bronx turnstile. In fairness, her chief Democratic opponent at the time, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a native Brooklynite, didn’t even appear to realize tokens had been discontinued.
Cost savings and lingering concerns
Unlike the MetroCard rollout, OMNY has required little adjustment.
Riders reluctant to use a credit card or smart device can purchase an OMNY card they can reload, similar to a MetroCard. Existing MetroCards will also continue to work into 2026, allowing riders to use remaining balances.
MTA spokespersons declined to comment, pointing instead to their many public statements as the deadline approaches.
The agency has said the changeover saves at least $20 million annually in MetroCard-related costs.
The new system also allows unlimited free rides within a seven-day period because the fare is capped after 12 rides. It’ll max out at $35 a week once the fare rises to $3 in January.
Still, new changes come with tradeoffs, with some critics raising concerns about data collection and surveillance.
Near Times Square on a recent morning, Ronald Minor was among the dwindling group of “straphangers” still swiping MetroCards.
The 70-year-old Manhattan resident said he’s sad to see them go. He has an OMNY card but found the vending machines to reload it more cumbersome.
“It’s hard for the elders,” Minor said as he caught a train to Brooklyn. “Don’t push us aside and make it like we don’t count. You push these machines away, you push us away.”
John Sacchetti, another MetroCard user at the Port Authority stop, said he likes being able to see his balance as he swipes through a turnstile so he knows how much he’s been spending on rides.
“It’s just like everything else, just something to get used to,” he said as he headed uptown. “Once I get used to it, I think it’ll be okay.”
Iran’s former foreign minister argues Israel, backed by the US, has killed every opportunity for peace.
Months after being attacked by the United States and Israel, Iran finds itself in the crosshairs again, with Israeli officials lobbying US President Donald Trump to address Tehran’s ballistic missiles.
Veteran Iranian diplomat Javad Zarif tells host Steve Clemons that “everybody lost any faith in diplomacy” after Israel and the US attacked Iran following five rounds of reconciliation talks between Washington and Tehran.
Zarif added that Israel has historically thwarted every opportunity for reconciliation between Iran and the US, and that Trump’s style of diplomacy is disastrous, as it creates “negotiations that end up in war”.
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Terence Crawford announced his retirement from the sport of boxing earlier this month, hanging up the gloves off the back of a win over Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
‘Bud’ Crawford became a three-time undisputed world champion when he dethroned the Mexican icon, making a two-division jump for the challenge and largely cruising to a unanimous decision victory.
It wasn’t long until Canelo announced that he was targeting a rematch, and many felt that it was one of the only big money fights out there for Crawford, even despite the convincing nature in which he won.
Still, some, including promoter Eddie Hearn, have suggested that the announcement could well be a bargaining chip for future fight negotiations.
On a recent livestream with Adin Ross, Crawford was asked if he had ever been contacted about a return fight.
“No. Never.”
Asked if it’s something he would consider, he said:
“It’s over with. If there was a rematch clause in the contract then I’d have to honour that, but it’s over with.”
The decision leaves Alvarez, who has vowed to continue fighting, in a tricky spot. He may well look to win back his super-middleweight belts, which are now to be scattered and fought for among the top contenders, but that route does not offer any names on the scale of Crawford.
As the year nears its end, it’s high time to take a look back at the best tiny houses of 2025. From high-end spacious models suitable for a family, to those that are modest in both size and cost, here’s a look at the most interesting examples of small living we’ve seen over the last 12 months.
Our selection of the best tiny houses we’ve featured in 2025 attempts to show the variety of the small living scene. We’re not being too strict with our definition of “tiny house” here, and we include everything from plus-sized massive homes that break the small living mold, to ultra-compact abodes that showcase interesting ideas and impressive affordability.
Check out each model in the gallery and read on below for more information on every example.
The Genesis V2, by Dragon Tiny Homes, is a very compact tiny house for two that starts at US$39,500
Dragon Tiny Homes
Dragon Tiny Homes recalls the small living movement’s affordable roots with its Genesis V2 model. The compact tiny house provides a petite and simple towable home for US$39,500.
At just 16 ft (4.9 m) long, it’s definitely on the smaller side even for a tiny house, but still manages to squeeze in a modest living area, a functional kitchen, and a bathroom. Storage nooks are tucked away too, and a loft bedroom is installed, sleeping up to two.
The Shadow, by Modern Tiny Living, is a compact tiny house that maximizes its available space with a remarkably effective interior layout
Modern Tiny Living
One of the major challenges with downsizing is the lack of available storage. Modern Tiny Living tackles this head-on with the Shadow, which packs an extraordinary amount of storage into its 24 ft (7.32 m) length.
The raised living room is its most interesting feature, seating up to six people and hiding a ton of storage under the floor and in built-in drawers. The rest of the layout includes a well-proportioned kitchen, a bathroom, and a loft bedroom accessed by a storage-packed staircase.
The Dogwood, by Mustard Seed Tiny Homes, is a gigantic tiny house, having a length of 52 ft (15.8 m)
Mustard Seed Tiny Homes
There are spacious tiny houses and then there’s the Dogwood, by Mustard Seed Tiny Homes. This enormous residence is easily the biggest small dwelling we’ve seen so far, with a floorspace of 750 sq ft (almost 70 sq m) and a length of 52 ft (15.8 m), which is around the size of some smaller brick-and-mortar homes.
The interior is as roomy as you’d expect and looks more like a small apartment than a tiny house. It has two downstairs bedrooms, one of which even has its own optional en-suite bathroom. There’s also a loft space too, which can be used for storage or as a third bedroom for guests.
The Tiny House Lux, by ODA Architects, is a 3D-printed tiny house that measures 47 sq m (505 sq ft) and is arranged on one floor
BoysPlayNice
With 3D-printed architecture gaining ground, we’re seeing more experimental small homes pop up. One such example is a non-towable tiny house that has been printed in a single week.
Tiny House Lux is designed by Luxembourg-based ODA Architects to help tackle housing shortages. It’s situated on an awkward plot with a width of 11.5 ft (3.5 m), and a depth of 58 ft (17.7 m). Human builders were also involved and finished off the home with a roof, windows, and more. Its interior is arranged on one floor and has generous glazing, offering a comfortable layout for two people.
The Spruce’s balcony is very small but suitable for up to two people to enjoy some fresh air
Backcountry Tiny Homes
Though it has a length of just 24 ft (7.3 m), the Spruce, by Backcountry Tiny Homes, maximizes its limited space well and even includes a neat balcony that offers a little outdoor space.
The living room includes a sofa bed and storage, with a dining/office table nearby. Also on the ground floor is a snug kitchen and bathroom. A storage-integrated staircase leads to the loft bedroom, which has a low ceiling and double bed, along with access to that balcony.
The Nano Micro House is a seriously small tiny house for two that has a length of just 11.5 ft (3.5 m)
Lewis Pugh
Though the Nano Micro House isn’t quite the smallest tiny house we’ve ever seen, it’s close – and at $22,900, it’s also among the cheapest. It comes in at just 11.5 ft (3.5 m) in length and has a functional interior for two.
Listed on the Tiny House Marketplace, the Nano Micro House’s interior contains a snug living area, with space for a chair, plus a basic kitchen. The bathroom surprisingly makes space for a soaking tub, while the bedroom is upstairs in a typical loft with a low ceiling.
This recently completed off-grid tiny house, by Tru Form Tiny, provides a luxurious interior suitable for living and working
Tru Form Tiny
This unnamed model, by Tru Form Tiny, has a length of 34 ft (10.36 m) and has a luxurious interior that lets its owners live and work wherever they want.
The tiny house runs off-grid with solar panels and has a spacious layout, with a sofa and a desk for remote working. The kitchen boasts a dishwasher and seating for two, while the bathroom has an incinerating toilet. The bedrooms are also quite large and the main bedroom hosts the model’s second home working area.
The Gunyah, by Häuslein Tiny House Co., has an optional porch, which expands living space significantly
Häuslein Tiny House Co.
The Gunyah, by Häuslein Tiny House Co., is one of the smallest models on our list at 16.5 ft (5 m). Despite this challenging footprint, it sleeps up to four people and can be configured with multiple options, including different layouts, a porch, and off-grid capability.
Its kitchen is simple, with a breakfast bar for two, while its living room can be configured as a downstairs bedroom and host a double bed, depending on the owner’s needs. Upstairs is the bedroom proper. The Gunyah is currently up for sale from $72,000 and also comes in a rental version.
The Sofia, by Vagabond Haven, is an off-grid space-saving tiny house for two that doesn’t break the bank
Vagabond Haven
The Sofia, by Vagabond Haven, is a superb example of clever space-saving design. The pint-sized tiny house only measures 172 sq ft (16 sq m), but squeezes in a livable interior for one or two people to live full-time off-grid.
The bed is the star of the show with this model. In addition to serving as, well, a bed, it transforms into a dining table and bench seating, plus it has integrated storage. Elsewhere in the home lies a small kitchen and a loft space that’s suitable for storage. This one starts at just $32,000.
The Augustine, by Backcountry Containers, is a shipping container-based tiny house that can fit an ATV or similar small vehicle in its garage, depending on how it’s configured
Backcountry Containers
Backcountry Containers’ Augustine packs a lot of flexibility into a 40-ft (12.2-m) shipping container and serves as both a tiny house and a garage space that can be used to house people or vehicles.
The living room contains a large sofa, a dining table and chairs, but the space can also be turned into a bedroom. The tiny house has a kitchen and a bathroom too, plus the garage. This is suitable for an ATV, or something similar. Or it can be set up as a master bedroom or have multiple bunkbeds fitted, depending on requirements.
Brigitte Bardot: From French cinema to international fame
French actress Brigitte Bardot, who revolutionised 1950s French cinema and became a symbol of sexual liberation, has died aged 91.
The cinema icon – “BB” as she was known in her home country – acted in almost 50 films, including And God Created Woman, but retired in 1973 to devote her life to animal welfare.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the nation was mourning “a legend of the century”, while the Brigitte Bardot Foundation remembered her as a “world-renowned actress”.
Later in life, Bardot’s reputation was damaged after she made homophobic slurs and was fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred.
Thomas Samson via Getty Images
Brigitte Bardot – pictured here in 2006 – gave up acting to concentrate on animal welfare at the age of 39
The Brigitte Bardot Foundation she established said in a statement that it was announcing her death with “immense sadness”.
The animal welfare organisation said she was “a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation.”
It did not specify where or when Bardot died.
Paying tribute, Macron wrote: “Her films, her voice, her dazzling glory, her initials, her sorrows, her generous passion for animals, her face that became Marianne, Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom.
“French existence, universal brilliance. She touched us. We mourn a legend of the century.”
Meanwhile, French far-right politician Marine Le Pen said France had lost “an exceptional woman, through her talent, her courage, her frankness, her beauty”.
Bardot’s husband, whom she married in 1992, was Bernard d’Ormale, a former adviser to the late far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen – the father of Marine.
Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via Getty Images
Bardot tore up the rule book of French cinema in the 1950s
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot was born in Paris in 1934 to a wealthy family, who wanted her to become a ballerina.
She was discovered in her teens after posing on the cover of Elle magazine, swiftly becoming a sensation in her home country, and was persuaded to enter the cinema world.
She played iconic roles, most notably in the 1956 film And God Created Woman, directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim, in which she played a sexually liberated woman.
The film scandalised the American public and was banned in some US states, while the French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir hailed her as an icon of “absolute freedom”.
Through the late 1950s and 1960s, she became a global phenomenon with roles in The Truth, earning critical acclaim for her dramatic depth; Contempt, a Jean-Luc Godard masterpiece; and Viva Maria!, showcasing her comedic flair alongside Jeanne Moreau.
Beyond her most iconic roles, Bardot showcased her versatility in films like Love on a Pillow, where she portrayed a complex, emotionally-torn character, and Two Weeks in September, a romantic drama that highlighted her ability to convey vulnerability.
In The Bear and the Doll, she brought playful charm to a comedic role, proving her range across genres. These films, though less celebrated, underscored her ability to captivate audiences in diverse narratives.
As well as her work in film, Bardot will also be remembered as a fashion icon, with her blonde tousled hair and bold eyeliner setting beauty trends worldwide. After wearing an off-the-shoulder number in Cannes in 1953, similar styles became known as the Bardot neckline.
She was married four times and had one son, Nicolas, with French actor and film producer Jacques Charrier, who died in September.
Nicolas later sued his mother for emotional damage after she wrote in an autobiography that she would have preferred to “give birth to a little dog”.
Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
Bardot, Jacques Charrier and their three-day-old son Nicolas in 1960
Ruthlessly marketed as a hedonistic sex symbol, Bardot was frustrated in her ambition to become a serious actress.
At the height of her fame, she announced she was retiring at the age of 39 to devote her life to animal welfare.
“I gave my youth and beauty to men, I give my wisdom and experience to animals,” Bardot famously declared.
In 1986, she launched the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which works to protect wild and domestic animals.
Reacting to her death, France’s oldest animal protection association – The Société Protectrice des Animaux – paid tribute to an “iconic and passionate figure for the animal cause”.
Charly Hel/Prestige/Getty Images
Bardot, pictured here in 2001, became an increasingly controversial figure in her later life
But for all her cinema successes and animal welfare work, Bardot leaves behind a controversial legacy, with a string of remarks later in life about Islam, gay people and the #MeToo movement impacting her reputation.
From the late 1990s, Bardot was fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred after comments she made online and in interviews about Muslims. She was fined €15,000 (£12,000) in 2008 after complaining on her website that Muslims were “destroying our country by imposing their ways”.
Bardot faced fierce criticism for her 2003 book, A Cry in the Silence, where she argued gay people, modern art, politicians and immigrants destroyed French culture.
