Serena Williams and Venus Williams took part in their very own Battle of the Sexes against German player Karsten Braasch.
Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs made the match famous in 1973, but Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios are reviving the match.
At the 1998 Australian Open, the rising American stars played out a set apiece against the 30-year-old veteran.
The German had previously been ranked as high as World No. 38, but by the time he played the Williams sisters he was languishing outside of the top 200.
Karsten Braasch beat Serena Williams and Venus Williams as teenagers
Despite his low ranking on the ATP Tour, Braasch made light work of the rising Americans, beating Serena 6-1 and Venus 6-2.
Venus and Serena were 17 and 16, respectively, when they played the match against Braasch, and they were yet to win a singles Grand Slam.
Battles of the Sexes 2025 rules
- The exhibition will be the best of three sets, with a 10 point tie-breaker if it goes to a decider
- The dimensions of Sabalenka’s side of the court will be 9% smaller
- Each player will only receive one serve
Speaking to The Guardian in 2001, Braasch confirmed that he did not take the high-profile exhibition very seriously.
He explained: “My training regime consisted of a leisurely round of golf in the morning followed by a couple of shandies. I turned up on court feeling suitably laid-back.”
Both Williams sisters have teased further Battle of the Sexes style matches, particularly against John McEnroe, but they are yet to come to fruition.
Karsten Braasch explains why he was able to beat Serena Williams and Venus Williams
In the same interview with The Guardian, the German outlined exactly why he was able to beat the rising stars with ease.
The star was not braggadocious about his victory, but simply explained the advantages he has over the all-time greats.
He said: “Both sisters are great tennis players and hit the ball extremely well. However, if you’ve been playing on the men’s tour there are certain shots you can play that are going to put them in difficulty.
“Try and put a lot spin on the ball – I was hitting the ball with a degree of spin they don’t face week-in, week-out. Another key is to chase down every shot. In our match, they were putting shots into the corners that on the women’s tour would be winners but I was able to return them.”
There have been several Battle of the Sexes-style matches since Braasch defeated the Williams sisters, including Li Na defeating Novak Djokovic in 2013 and Johanna Konta defeating Pat Cash in 2017.
