‘Always an Underdog’- When a Close Friend Detailed How Chris Evert Was Always Celebrated More Than Martina Navratilova

The legendary rivalry between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova has always not been very friendly. Any rivalry has its ups and downs and at the peak of their competition, they were battling each other for the top spot on the WTA ranking chart.

Back in 1982, the finals of the Toyota Championships were to be the decider of their positions in the rankings and Navratilova was not ready to succumb to the pressure without putting up a fight.

Nancy Lieberman vouched for Martina Navratilova to be world no. 1

Martina Navratilova at that time had the support of the basketball player, Nancy Lieberman. She was vouching for Navratilova to be the no.1 player. She said, “I wouldn’t know what to tell Martina if she doesn’t get No. 1.” Furthermore, she noticed how Navratilova had changed herself according to the needs of the game and incumbent trends.

Lieberman added, “She worked so hard and did everything asked of her. She changed everything, from her game to her looks to how she acts on and off court.” The perception of Navratilova as a newbie agitated the basketball player. She said, “Yet she’s always an underdog. Not one statistic is in Chris’s favor.”

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Martina Navratilova too believed that she had a better game than Evert that year and said, “This isn’t boxing. It doesn’t come down to one match. We play all year.” It was in the context of how the Toyota Championships’ finals would have decided the outcome of being the world’s no.1 player.

How did Navratilova and Evert fare in 1982?

Navratilova had won the French Open and Wimbledon that year and Evert had taken the US Open and the Australian Open. The first half of the year was in Navratilova’s favor and the second was in Evert’s. So, at the Toyota Championships, when they both reached the finals, it was a decider.

Their rivalry at that time was one of the most celebrated rivalries in the world. In the end, Martina Navratilova took the victory along with the world no.1 spot.

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However, to summarize their celebrated rivalry based on this one incident would be naïve. Despite their rivalry, the players always respected each other and continue to be good friends until now.