“I always believe I can beat the best, achieve the best. I always see myself in the top position.” This quote by the legendary Serena Williams perfectly sums up the incredibly stellar career the 41-year-old American has had. To be this successful and dominant for so many years like the 23-time grand slam champion, one not only needs to possess insane skills with the tennis racket but also needs to have the mentality of a warrior – and Serena had no dearth of that.

In a recent interview, young American ATP star Frances Tiafoe revisited a match involving Serena Williams and Roger Federer, which serves as a testament to the highly competitive mindset of Serena.

When the super-competitive spirit of Serena Williams was on full display against Roger Federer

Serena Williams and Roger Federer are perhaps the 2 most loved and widely celebrated tennis players of all time. Therefore it was an occasion of epic proportions when these 2 behemoths collided against each other in mixed doubles match during the Hopman Cup in 2019. Federer teamed up with Belinda Bencic, whereas Serena joined hands with Frances Tiafoe as the teams represented their respective countries.

In a recent interview, Tiafoe recalled moments during the match which revealed Serena’s huge competitive spirit and monster mentality. “The best Serena story I got: I’m playing mixed doubles with her. We’re playing Federer and Bencic. Federer is acing her left, right and center. She’s aced again. Go, sit down… She’s like ‘Uhh, I don’t get it! We can’t lose!’ She’s like, ‘He’s not better than me! I got 23 grand slams, he got 20!’..That’s when I was like, you’ve got to be different, bro..”, he said.

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It is this fighting temperament that has helped Serena Williams achieve so much in her illustrious career. Frances Tiafoe himself has been a huge admirer of his compatriot Serena, and once compared her influence on the sport of tennis to that of Roger Federer.

READ MORE: ‘I Got You Bro’- Serena Williams Replies as Frances Tiafoe Asks for GOAT Present

Tiafoe found similarities between Williams and Federer’s huge impact on the sport

Two years back, the 25-year-old ATP ace expressed concerns over the state of women’s tennis once Serena Williams decides to end her career. He drew parallels between the astounding popularity of the Queen of tennis and that of the Swiss maestro, mentioning that perhaps no other tennis stars can be as big crowd pullers as these 2. Tiafoe also claimed that tennis will be left with a big void after the retirement of the 23-time-major winner.

Now that we look in hindsight, indeed, the monumental popularity of Federer and Williams is unmatched. Millions of their fans still feel their absence from the tennis court.

WATCH THIS STORY: Top five best Serena Williams outfits of all time