Nick Kyrgios once said if he thought he was better than Serena Williams

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Nick Kyrgios once played on the same court as 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.

Kyrgios is playing Aryna Sabalenka in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ exhibition match ahead of the 2026 season.

There have been a lot of different opinions on this taking place, with Kyrgios responding to criticism both he and Sabalenka have received.

Sabalenka is not the first WTA player who Kyrgios has played with in his career, having also previously shared the court with Williams.

Nick Kyrgios admitted he felt ‘uncomfortable’ playing with Serena Williams

In 2014, Kyrgios played alongside Williams at the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) exhibition event in Singapore.

Kyrgios and Williams played against the pairing of Kirsten Flipkens and Daniel Nestor, where they were beaten in a one-set match 6-3.

While many had forgotten about this match, seven years later Kyrgios brought it back up on the No Boundaries Podcast.

In his reflection of the match, Kyrgios called it the ‘most uncomfortable’ experience, as he claimed Williams was trying to do everything, while he believed he was better than the 23-time major winner.

“I’ve hit with Serena before,” Kyrgios said in 2021. “I played mixed doubles with her at IPTL and it was the most uncomfortable experience for me because she was trying to do everything. And I was like ‘I’m better than you’.

“There are some sports where the levels [between men and women] are quite similar…but deep down I was like ‘Serena you have to get me involved here, we’re getting snipped, give me the ball!’”

Despite not appearing to gel with the former world number one, Kyrgios has since praised Williams.

What Nick Kyrgios said about Venus Williams after playing doubles with her

Not only did Kyrgios play doubles with Serena, but he also competed alongside her older sister Venus.

When reflecting on that match, it appears that Kyrgios had more fun with Venus than Serena, but he did admit that he felt a lot of pressure.

“I felt a bit of pressure playing with Venus,” said Kyrgios. “I just wanted to, not put on a good showing or anything, I really wanted to win. I’ve never really wanted to win a mixed doubles or a doubles match that much before. I was really trying hard.

“It was just a lot of fun. She’s iconic to the sport and she’s an absolute legend. She’ll go down as one of the greatest players ever to pick up a racket when it’s all said and done.”

Kyrgios and Venus Williams would win their first-round match at Wimbledon in 2021, but they would not go any further after the former suffered an abdominal injury which forced them to withdraw.

The Australian will now turn his focus to playing against a woman, with Kyrgios playing Sabalenka in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match in Dubai on December 28.