Chris Evert American tennis player. Date of Birth: 21.12.1954 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Tennis Career
2. Grand Slam Triumphs
3. Rivalry with Martina Navratilova
4. Retirement and Legacy
5. Personal Life

Early Life and Tennis Career

Chris Evert was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 21, 1954. Raised in a tennis-oriented family, she began playing at the age of five under the guidance of her father, Jimmy Evert. By 1969, she had become the top-ranked girl under 14 in the United States. In 1970, she won the national tournament for girls under 16, earning an invitation to the tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina.

At the age of 15, Evert shocked the tennis world by defeating Françoise Dürr 6-1, 6-0 in the first round of the tournament. She then upset Margaret Smith, the world's top-ranked player and a Grand Slam singles winner, in the semifinals, 7-6, 7-6. These victories propelled Evert into the Wightman Cup, where she became the youngest player ever to compete.

Grand Slam Triumphs

Evert made her debut at the US Championships at the age of 16. After an easy opening-round victory over Edda Buding, she faced Mary-Ann Eisel. Evert saved six match points on Eisel's serve at 6-4, 6-5 (40-0) before winning the match 4-6, 7-6, 6-1. She went on to defeat Dürr (2-6, 6-2, 6-3) and Lesley Hunt (4-6, 6-2, 6-3) before falling to Billie Jean King in the semifinals.

Evert's precise groundstrokes that landed deep in the court's backhand corner perfectly suited clay-court play, but she also proved formidable on other surfaces. As a junior player, Evert used a two-handed backhand because she was too small and frail to hit one-handed backhands effectively. This became a signature style for her, and future generations of players would often imitate it.

Evert's graceful style, attractive appearance, and calm demeanor made her a darling of the press and fans. She reached the finals of both Wimbledon and the French Championships in 1971. The following year, she emerged victorious at both tournaments, marking her first Grand Slam titles. Her fiancé, Jimmy Connors, also won Wimbledon that year, and their relationship became a major focus of media attention.

Connors and Evert were engaged to be married while playing mixed doubles together in 1974, although Evert rarely played doubles. By this time, Evert began to focus less on doubles, concentrating her efforts on her singles career.

For the next five years, Evert was ranked as the world's top-ranked women's tennis player (with short breaks). In 1975, she won the French Championships again and captured her first US Championships title, defeating Evonne Goolagong in a three-set final. In 1976, Evert won Wimbledon, once again triumphing over Goolagong in a three-set final. The rivalry between Goolagong and Evert continued for several years, with Evert winning 21 of their 33 matches.

Evert's dominance in women's tennis, coupled with her calm demeanor and stoic nature on the court, earned her the nickname "Ice Maiden."

Rivalry with Martina Navratilova

In later years, Evert's primary rival became Martina Navratilova. The two women were good friends off the court, but their on-court battles were considered some of the greatest the tennis world had ever seen. In their early encounters, Evert often prevailed, but Navratilova began to gain the upper hand by the early 1980s. However, on clay courts, Evert remained the superior player. By August 1973, she had won 125 consecutive matches on clay, a record that still stands among both men and women.

Her winning streak was broken on May 12, 1979, when she lost to Tracy Austin in the semifinals of the Italian Open, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6. "I'm relieved the streak is over," Evert said after the match, "but it's a little painful." Evert then won 72 consecutive matches on clay, which ended with a semifinal defeat at the French Championships to Hana Mandlikova.

Evert won the French Championships a remarkable seven times. Two of her most memorable victories at the tournament were three-set battles against Navratilova in the 1980s. In 1985, Evert won 6-3, 6-7, 7-5, and she regained the world's top ranking for the fifth and final time. In 1986, at the age of 31, Evert claimed her last Grand Slam victory, defeating Navratilova 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Retirement and Legacy

Evert retired from professional tennis in 1989. During her illustrious career, she amassed 157 singles titles and 8 doubles titles. Her overall win-loss record was 157-72 in finals. She reached the semifinals in 273 of the 303 tournaments she entered. She won the WTA Championship Race four times and helped lead the United States to eight Federation Cup titles.

Evert's last match was a Federation Cup victory over Conchita Martinez in 1989, 6-3, 6-2. Evert won at least one tournament every year for 13 consecutive years (1974-1986). She captured 18 Grand Slam singles titles: seven at the French Championships, six at the US Championships (three on clay, three on hard courts), three at Wimbledon, and two at the Australian Championships (both on grass). Evert reached 34 finals and 52 semifinals out of 56 Grand Slam tournaments.

In 1976, she was named Sportswoman of the Year. In April 1985, she was voted the "Outstanding Woman Athlete of the Last 25 Years." Evert served as President of the Women's Tennis Association from 1975-1976 and 1983-1991. She was unanimously elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2005, Tennis Magazine placed Evert fourth on its list of the 40 Greatest Tennis Players.

Personal Life

Outside of tennis, Evert has been involved in a number of high-profile relationships. Her romance with fellow tennis player Jimmy Connors captured public attention in the 1970s, especially after they both won Wimbledon titles in 1974. Evert and Connors also occasionally played mixed doubles together, including reaching the US Open final in 1974. They subsequently became engaged, but their relationship did not last. Their wedding, scheduled for November 8, 1974, was called off.

In later years, she was romantically linked to several high-profile men, reportedly including actor Burt Reynolds and John Ford, the son of US President Gerald Ford. In 1979, she married British tennis player John Lloyd, becoming Chris Evert-Lloyd. They divorced in 1987. In 1988, she married two-time Olympic champion Andy Mill. They had three sons together: Alexander James (born 1991), Nicholas Joseph (born 1994), and Colton Jack (born 1996). On November 13, 2006, Evert filed for divorce. The divorce was finalized on December 6, 2006, with Evert reportedly paying Mill $7 million.

Evert currently operates a tennis academy with Robert Seguso and his wife.

On December 15, 2007, it was announced that Evert and legendary golfer Greg Norman were engaged. The couple had become engaged on Sunday, December 9, 2007, while on a trip to South Africa from the United States. When asked about a wedding date, Evert replied, "Well... the ring's on... But we don't know where or when yet."