McHale explains what it's like to challenge Serena

So what’s it really like to face off against Serena Williams? Christina McHale would know. The 28-year-old has faced off against the 23-time Grand Slam champion four times. Though she’s lost all four bouts, she’s won a set in three of their matches, and each time she pushes Serena’s limits.

In their most recent encounter in the round of 16 in Auckland, McHale stormed to a set lead before falling, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Even in their very first encounter back in Miami in 2016, McHale would win a set before eventually losing, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. What is it about her game that throws Serena off so much?

“Honestly, I have no idea,” she said on the TENNIS.com Podcast.” I feel like the first time I played her, I was literally just hoping to get games and then it ended up going three sets."

Their most memorable match so far might be the second round of Wimbledon in 2016 when McHale won the first set in a tiebreaker, giving the eventual champion quite the scare.

“It's obviously an honor to play her,” McHale said. “But then once I get into the match and you sort of get over that you're playing against Serena, you just try and not think of her as who she is and just try and think of her as another competitor.”

It also helps that McHale got friendly with Serena early on her career, as they played on the Fed Cup team together back in 2012. They were also on the same U.S. Olympic team in London.

“I’ve been on earlier in my career a couple of Fed Cup teams with her and so when I see her, I always try and say 'Hi',” McHale said.

What’s Serena’s take? She has often said that players bring their very best when they face her, as she’s literally always the favorite.

“When [she goes] out to play anybody there, they've got all the pressure on them,” McHale said. “You've got to try and think of little things to get yourself psyched up.”