Martina Navratilova has never been one to shy away from a showdown. Speaking to Lareus.com, the 18-time major singles champion says she would have loved to face Serena Williams. She even took some time to break down the matchup, mentioning why she might be able to make things tough on the 19-time major champ.

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“I would love the opportunity to play Serena,” she said. “She's got a big power game, huge serve, but she doesn't like to play people that are very fast, and I was pretty quick in my day. I think it would be a pretty great match. Different surfaces, people have different strengths and weaknesses but I think that would be a great match up.”

Looking to the horizon, Navratilova does give the legendary American a chance to come level with Steffi Graf’s 22 Open Era major titles, saying, “Serena's very motivated, she's healthy and the competition hasn't been able to catch up to her. It's a tall mountain to climb, but if she hits 20, it's within reach. If she stays healthy, it's possible.”

In the exclusive interview with Laureus, Navratilova also paid tribute to the achievements of Chinese trailblazer Li Na. “She’s opened a pretty big door in China and in Asia,” said Navratilova, who is currently coaching Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska. “There are already a lot more Chinese players out there and they will be making their mark, and with all of the academies and places that are starting out around China. I think first of all we'll see more woman players, but I think we'll see more men players coming out of China thanks to Li Na.”