"Everyone knows we men don't lose against women" - When Serena Williams & Venus Williams-beater Karsten Braasch dismissed significance of their clash

Karsten Braasch once recalled winning a set against Venus and Serena Williams during an exhibition match at the 1998 Australian Open. He mentioned that it didn’t garner much attention among his peers, as he believed men never lose to women in sports.

Braasch was ranked 203rd in the world and 31 years old when he faced the Williams sisters. He defeated Serena 6-1 and Venus 6-2, reportedly warming up with a round of golf and a few cigarettes. It followed the sisters' claim that they could beat any male player ranked outside the ATP Top 200.

During an interview with Spiegel Sport in 2004, Braasch said:

"Not so much with the players. Nobody ever said: 'It's nice that you showed them.' Because everyone knows that we men don't lose against the women. You don't compare the men's national football team with the women's. It's a different league."

Braasch later claimed that while playing against Venus and Serena Williams, he deliberately held back and played at the level of someone ranked 600th in the world. Following the match, the sisters modified their statement, saying they could beat any man ranked outside the ATP Top 350.

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Serena Williams: "Men's tennis and women's tennis are almost two separate sports"

Serena Williams pictured at the 2019 Australian Open | Image Source: Getty

In 2013, Serena Williams appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, where she discussed tennis, her personal life, and more. During the conversation, Letterman brought up the idea of a potential rematch in a "Battle of the Sexes" and asked if she believed she would have a chance against Andy Murray in such a competition.

Williams said:

"Men's tennis and women's tennis are almost two separate sports. If I was to play Andy Murray, I would lose 6-0, 6-0 in five to six minutes, maybe 10 minutes."

She added:

"It's true, it's just completely, completely different sport. The men are a lot faster than me and they they get they serve harder. They hit just a different game and I love to play women's tonight. I don't want to play girls because I don't want to be embarrassed. I would not do the tour."

"I wouldn't do Billie Jean any justice. So Andy, stop it. Yeah, we're not gonna, I'm not gonna let you kill me," she continued.