"I would certainly win some matches, but so would she" – When Martina Navratilova compared herself with Serena Williams

Martina Navratilova said that she could've won a few matches if she had faced Serena Williams during her mid-80s peak.

The Czech-American spoke to British media house Guardian in November 2003, a few days before the United States of America's Fed Cup semifinal against Belgium, about a variety of topics, including the state of women's tennis back then.

Navratilova said that while the WTA tour was in good shape, she would've loved to see more of Venus Williams and Serena Williams, who had not played a single match since that year's Wimbledon Championships.

"I think women's tennis is in relatively good shape but it would be much better if we saw more of Venus and Serena. Our two biggest stars in the game haven't played since July. That's a real shame. The Williams girls compete extremely hard on court because they hate losing - it's just that they haven't played an awful lot of tennis over the years," she said.

When asked to compare herself in her mid-80s to Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova said that both players would win a few matches and that it was difficult to say who would come out on top. She also predicted that Serena Williams could be better than her if she reached her potential.

"I would certainly win some matches . . . but so would she. It's real tough to say who would win more. I think if she ever reaches her potential she could be better than I was but tennis is about so much more than just pure ability. Serena is still learning about the game. A lot depends on how much she wants to stretch herself," she expressed.

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"Serena and Venus featured in my list of goals at the start of the year" - Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams at the 2015 Miami Open

Martina Navratilova also said in her interview that facing Venus Williams and Serena Williams in doubles was among her list of goals for 2003, the others being winning another Grand Slam and making it to the Fed Cup.

"Ironically, she and Venus featured in my list of goals at the start of the year. I aimed to win another grand slam and to make it to the Fed Cup. The third aim was to beat the Williams sisters - but I never got the chance to play them. Maybe next year?" the Czech-American said.

The nine-time Wimbledon singles champion managed to win two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in 2003 and helped the United States reach the final of the Fed Cup where they lost 4-1 to France.