‘Last Thing I Wanted to Do’- When Chris Evert Narrated How a Rare Jimmy Connors Advice Helped Her Clinch History at Wimbledon

1974 was a year of delight and pride for tennis enthusiasts in the USA. That year at Wimbledon in both male and female categories, the American players reigned in the championship. On the male side, Jimmy Connors bagged the title, and on the female side, Chris Evert reigned.

What added more to the excitement of the audience was that both the players were engaged to get married soon. Besides that, Connors helped Evert win the opening round of Wimbledon, after which she sailed through to win the grass-court major.

Jimmy Connors helped Evert to win at Wimbledon

Chris Evert faced the Australian player Lesley Hunt in the opening round of Wimbledon. The match was postponed mid-way after it got dark at 9-9 in the final set. The player narrated how Connors helped her realize what she needs to do to win that match. She said, “I went back to my hotel that night and watched the replay of that match with Jimmy on BBC.”

Connors advised her to change her approach while tackling Lesley on the opposite side. She said, “He told me I had to approach the net on Lesley’s backhand, which she always chipped.” Evert was apprehensive about following this approach. She admitted, “That was the last thing I wanted to do, but I listened to Jimmy’s good advice.”

However, she showed faith in his advice and followed it. She said, “When we resumed the match, the next day I came in on her backhand on the first point and it worked.” She added, “I won the match pretty quickly [8-6, 5-7,11-9]. Jimmy was great at getting me motivated.” 

READ MORE: ‘Everybody Tears It Down’ – Jimmy Connors Once Criticized Arthur Ashe for Downplaying His Huge Wimbledon Achievement

Both the players had announced their engagement and were to get married that November. However, they broke off the engagement and never got married.

Chris Evert- A legacy left behind

The player continued her record of winning grand slam titles after that, too. She went on to win 18 grand slam titles during her glorious career. However, in her relationships, the player did not have a great success.

WATCH THIS STORY: ‘Seems to Get Injured a Lot’ – Martina Navratilova Once Used Serena Williams’ Example to Talk About the ‘Fragmented’ Nature of Women’s Tennis. 

She married thrice and now lives a solitary and content life on her own. She stays connected with the sport and is an ESPN broadcaster.