This is half-a-century-long story. Got time? First, a question. What makes on-court rivalries beautiful? Is it how they make you feel in the moment? Or is it how they turn into most solid bonds ever? For one, latter is the case with two of the best female tennis players in the world: Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. It is a tale of one of the greatest rivalries in tennis history metamorphizing into “a joint accomplishment.” One where when Evert found out about her unwelcomed condition in 2022, her cancer, she confessed, “She (Martina) was one of the very first people I told.” And to reciprocate her love for her rival-turned-friend, Martina would wear a necklace Chris gifted her as a 60th birthday present, with three rings made of white gold signifying their friendship, as a talisman. But that is not how their story has always been like.

Back in 1973, in the round of 16 of Akron Tennis Open, a 19-year-old Evert met a 17-year-old Navratilova. While Chris does not remember much of her first meeting with the amateur athlete in Navratilova today, the latter remembers everything as clear as a sunny day. “I remember better than Chris I think, because for her I was just some youngster walking by. But she did say hello. But she had no idea who I was.” Within the next three years, the two athletes provided the world most intense of battles. From 1975 to 1977, one theme absolutely dominated the WTA: Evert vs Navratilova. The two went head-to-head 11 times in 1975 with the Czech-American player finding her first ever win in the Virginia Slims of Washington quarterfinals, their second face-off of the year. In the meantime, Evert dominated the WTA as the world No. 1 for seven years from late 70s to early 80s, five years straight in between. And from there, it was a back-and-forth, just like the sport they loved.

While their rivalry kept them bonded together for 16 years, what followed got them closer than ever. Their post-retirement lives saw many parallels: living in Florida, entering the tennis broadcasting, and sadly, the cancer diagnosis. Martina first announced that she had Stage 0 breast cancer back in 2010, but her woes didn’t end just yet. In November 2022, the 18x Grand Slam winner updated the Tennis world, “The double whammy is serious but still fixable. I’m hoping for a favorable outcome. It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all have I got.” During WTA Finals in Texas, while examining a lump in her neck, which was also a stage-1 throat cancer caused by HPV, the doctors found stage-1 breast cancer. And as if the universe wanted to bond the two tennis GOATs through misery, Evert too was going through early-stage ovarian cancer treatment, diagnosed months ago in January 2022.

“When you were diagnosed it terrified me, and then I supported you, and then, a year later, I get it, and you supported me,” that’s how the WTA legend Martina Navratilova summed up her adorable friendship story with Chris Evert. The two tennis stars battled cancer after 16 years of locking horns with each other on the court, and today, Evert’s response is enough to turn fans emotional as she showcases her love for her closest friend.

In a one-on-one interview with Craig Gabriel of We Are Tennis, Evert expressed gratitude for having Navratilova by her side during the difficult time, saying, “If I wanted to be in the trenches with anyone, it would be Martina (laughter). We were in the trenches together, and we were growing closer and bonding over the fact that we would look at each other, and say, how is this happening?

“We both got cancer at the same time. It was unbelievable timing. We both had it at the same time. We both were going through chemotherapy and radiation, everything, at the same time.”

The two would often spend days in treatment and nights talking about the nothings of the challenges that the life has thrown at them. And another friend, who had helped them spread awareness about getting genetic diagnosis early.

“You know, I just think to have somebody that close to me share this experience with, and Sally (Jenkins), who knows us better than any journalist, because she’s been around for 50 years, she knows us personally, it was really, I think, enlightening, enlightening and cathartic, like you said. That was a good word. But it was a very positive article on something very, you know, traumatic and bad.”

Evert and Navratilova helped their friend and journalist who has known them since their early competition days write an article on them for The Washington Post. Over the years though, the rivalry turned into mutual respect and deep friendship. Their journey, from fierce competitors to close friends who supported each other through cancer, still stands as a perfect example of bonding among rivals, even if there is some competitiveness present.

Top Comment by Ta BC

Both Chris and Martina, not only extraordinary in their sport careers achievements, but also in demonstrating top life values…inspirational for...more

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Chris Evert thinks Martina Navratilova is ‘luckier’ despite the fight against terrible illness

Ralph Lauren’s event to raise awareness about the fight against cancer brought together tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. The two had a brief conversation, during which, Evert spoke about their battles with cancer. She pointed out that Navratilova was “luckier” than her. “You’re luckier than I am ’cause I still have to go every 3 weeks and get a CAT scan, you know, now that it’s come back,” Evert said.

Despite the struggles, Evert revealed she remained positive through her treatment. “Then I think there are millions of people around the world going through this and I never thought ‘Why me?’ I thought ‘Why not me?’ you know. ‘Why not?’ you know, we’re no different just because we’re tennis champions, we’re still going to deal with obstacles that come our way,” she added.

Evert’s fight against cancer is personal, as her sister, Jeanne Evert, passed away from ovarian cancer in 2020. Aware of her family history, Evert underwent early testing, which led to her diagnosis. After going through chemotherapy, she was declared cancer-free in July this year. However, she still faces ongoing health checkups and the uncertainty that comes with the condition. She spoke about how she has learned to cope with the situation. “I think what I learned to do is surrender you know. There’s certain things in life you can control, there’s certain things in life that you just can’t fight.”

Both Evert and Navratilova have been open about their battles, using their platforms to encourage others to prioritize their health. Their conversation at the Ralph Lauren event emerged as a powerful moment, making it clear that even the greatest athletes are not immune to life’s challenges. But there is no denying that they indeed had someone to lean on as they went through life’s crisis.