Nick Kyrgios asked Venus Williams to be his doubles partner at Wimbledon and it was like a schoolboy asking a girl to prom

• Venus Williams and Nick Kyrgios will play mixed doubles together at Wimbleton.
• Kyrgios said playing with Williams is "a dream come true."
• Kyrgios proposed the team-up to Williams similar to how a school boy might ask a girl to prom.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Venus Williams and Nick Kyrgios playing mixed doubles together at Wimbledon.

For the 26-year-old Kyrgios, the team-up will fulfill his long-time dream of playing alongside the seven-time Grand Slam-winning Williams.

But the way Kyrgios went about getting Williams on board to fulfill that dream was through a quick, casual, charming proposal.

ESPN Wimbledon announcer Chrissie Evert told the origin story about how Kyrgios initially pitched the team-up to Williams as they sat near each other before the tournament.

"He whispered across to her 'Mixed?'" Evert said during the ESPN broadcast. "She told us she was like, 'Me? Sure!'"

Kyrgios's recruitment method resembled that of a high-school prom proposal but definitely on the more subtle side, as it didn't involve a giant cardboard sign or an invited audience.

Kyrgios handled himself particularly cool considering the stakes. He said teaming up with Williams was "a dream come true."

"She's obviously a legend," Kyrgios said in a press conference. "To see her still gracing the courts of Wimbledon, winning matches at 41... At 41, I don't think I'll be able to honestly hit another ball. She's a legend."

Kyrgios has made 26 Grand Slam appearances, and Williams has participated in almost every one of them. But he wasn't able to get her as a double partner until this year.

"We've been planning to play for a while now at grand slams. It just never worked out," Kyrgios said. "I'm not sure how long she'll play for, so before she kind of gives it up, I do want to experience playing with one of the Williams sisters in mixed doubles. Honestly, that's like a dream come true for me."

"I don't think she ever thought back in the day she'd be playing mixed doubles with the bad boy of tennis."

The two will face off against American pair Austin Krajicek and Sabrina Santamaria on Friday.