"Serena Williams will go in and out of hunger, but Maria Sharapova has it every match" - When Chris Evert heaped praise on Russian's competitive drive

Chris Evert once lavished praise on Maria Sharapova's mental strength, an area where she gave the Russian an edge over her arch-rival Serena Williams. Evert made these remarks during the 2015 WTA Finals.

Williams, who was the World No. 1 at the time, had to end her season prematurely. She withdrew from both the China Open and the season-ending championships to prioritize her health.

Meanwhile, third seed Sharapova was drawn into the Red Group along with top seed Simona Halep, eventual champion Agnieszka Radwanska and Flavia Pennetta. The Russian progressed to the semifinals, where Petra Kvitova of the White Group ended her campaign.

During a press conference at the WTA Finals that year, Chris Evert couldn't help but admire Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, noting that they exhibited the same level of "hunger" as herself, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf.

"When I think of the word 'hunger,' I go back and I think of myself and I think of Martina [Navratilova] and Steffi Graf," Evert said. "But really, up until now, the only two players that have shown that consistently have been Maria [Sharapova] and Serena [Williams]."

The 18-time Grand Slam champion then claimed that while Williams could fluctuate in her level of "hunger" at times, Sharapova appeared to maintain more consistency.

"She [Sharapova] is unbelievable. Even more so than Serena, I find. Because Serena will go in and out of hunger, but I think Maria always has it every match, every tournament. I've never seen her play a match where she even gave the slight indication of, Well, whatever happens, happens," Evert said.

"I mean, she just makes things happen, and it's phenomenal. I really admire that. That's her best quality," she added.

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Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova met each other 22 times on the WTA Tour

Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams pictured at the 2015 Australian Open

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova met each other a whopping 22 times on the WTA Tour, with the former holding a 20-2 head-to-head advantage.

The duo's first meeting came at the 2004 Miami Open, where it was Williams who had the last laugh. However, Sharapova swiftly turned the tables later that year by defeating the American at Wimbledon to win her maiden Grand Slam title.

Sharapova's next and last triumph over the American occurred at the 2004 WTA Tour Championships. Williams won their next 19 matches, with their last encounter taking place in the first round of the 2019 US Open.