‘I Had Three Pairs of Shoes..’ – Chris Evert’s Emotional Admission Once on How Her Hunger Was Derived From ‘Lack of Money Growing Up’

Former American tennis star Chris Evert achieved almost everything as a tennis player. However, there are a few regrets she has regarding her personal life. Coming from a not-so-affluent background, she faced various challenges. In one interview, the 67-year-old revealed that while growing up, she didn’t have a fancy shoe collection.

Today, when she earns well, the legend looks back at her days of struggle and how it shaped her as a player. Back in an interview, the former world number one opened up about the impacts of her early day’s hardships in her career.

Chris Evert had only three pairs of shoes

Although the number of shoes a person has is not the right way to judge his finances, Evert tried to portray her financial limitations growing up by giving a specific example. The 18-time Grand Slam champion revealed that she had only three shoes, one each for different purposes. Here’s what she said.

“I know how I was [portrayed], but we didn’t have a lot of money growing up. I had three pairs of shoes: one for school, one for church, and sneakers. Maybe some of my hunger was from that, maybe I liked the attention. Maybe I liked being good at something at a young age.”

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The money involved in tennis is one of the main reasons that the game attracts attention. While a few young players just love the game, many others know how rewarding it could be.

Evert drive to succeed on the court has indeed proven to be highly fruitful, as she is currently worth $16 million. Moreover, during her incredible career, she became the first woman to win $1 million dollars in career prize money in 1976.

Evert strived for affection under the coaching of a strict father

The former world number one believes that no human being in the world can be perfect. And so was her dad. Evert recalls how she never received any kind of appreciation or affection as her father used to teach her tennis. Recalling the strict regime of her father, the 18-time Grand Slam champion revealed that her father would never appreciate her for the good shots she played, but will always point out the errors and mistakes.

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While she hated it back then, Evert owes her success to that coaching regime. Who knows where she would have been if her father used different tactics for her training?