"I don't know anyone in life that hates losing more than I do" - When Serena Williams dismissed Maria Sharapova having similar attitude to her

One of the things that made Serena Williams one of the greatest players in tennis history was her hatred for losing. According to her, she did not know anyone who hated losing as much as her, not even another tennis great, Maria Sharapova.

At the 2013 Miami Open (Sony Open), Williams, the World No. 1 at the time, was steamrolling past her opponents. In the semifinal, she defeated Agnieszka Radwańska 6-3, 6-0 to set up a final against Sharapova, who had defeated Jelena Janković 6-2, 6-1.

During her post-match press conference, Williams was asked several questions about her final opponent. The American was all praise for Sharapova, explaining how the Russian brings the best out of her and that she enjoys playing against her.

One of the reporters asked whether Williams thought Sharapova was like her. The reporter said:

"She seems to hate to lose as much as you do. Do you feel that when you're playing her?"

Williams immediately disagreed, stating:

"I don't know anyone in life that hates losing more than I do," the American said.

However, she added that the Russian had a 'great attitude' and it was something she could learn from.

"Yeah, so I'm not quite sure about that one. I feel like whether she wins or loses, she always has a great attitude about it. Another thing I can really learn from her. Yeah, other than that I definitely think we're a little bit alike in a lot of different things," she added.

Before Williams and Sharapova faced off in the 2013 Miami Open final, they had played against each other 13 times. After the first three battles, Sharapova had a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head notching up important final wins at Wimbledon and the WTA Finals in 2004. However, the Russian lost 10 consecutive times against Williams after that.

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"I love seeing her on the opposite side" - When Serena Williams opened up about how Maria Sharapova brought the best out of her

Maria Sharapova (L) and Serena Williams with their Miami Open 2013 trophies - Source: Getty

During the same press conference, Serena Williams was asked where the difference lay between her and Maria Sharapova considering their one-sided head-to-head record. The American couldn't pinpoint a difference but said:

"I don't know. Every match for sure is a new match. I don't know. I just feel like ‑‑I love playing her. I love seeing her on the opposite side because she just brings out a good game. I just like the challenge of playing someone who has made history and who is doing so well," Serena Williams said.

In their 2013 Miami Open final, Williams won 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. The American went on to win the next eight battles against Sharapova eventually leading their head-to-head 20-2.