Family has always been the cornerstone of Chris Evert‘s life. And, what’s even better is the double delight of becoming a grandparent. At a time when she was battling cancer for the second time, Evert revealed her grandson motivated her to fight against the life-threatening phase. “It makes me want to live even more,” she told the New York Times. She also disclosed wanting to be a ‘fun grandmother’ for as long as possible. Just like her unwavering dedication on the court, the doting grandmother, 70, embraces the exciting role with immense passion. To put things in better perspective, her social media posts brim with tender moments spent with her grandson.

On Friday, March 21, the tennis legend took to Instagram and uploaded a photo with her grandson – Hayden James, an adorable baby boy her son Nicholas Mill welcomed last year alongside his wife Rebbecca. The heartwarming capture saw the grandmother-grandson duo seated on a couch, with Evert reading a book ‘Ilama Ilama Red Pajama’ to the toddler. “Granny…❤️❤️❤️,” she captioned the post. For those unaware, the American veteran raised three sons – Alexander, Nicholas, and Colton – with her ex-husband and Olympian skier Andy Mill.

Just last month, Evert made another post on her socials, showcasing her son Nicholas cradling baby Hayden. She hilariously captioned the photograph – “Like father, like son.” Not to be outdone, the former World No. 1 also has a niece named Remi, who is the daughter of her sister Clare. And, there’s no love lost there either as the American icon constantly shares photos and videos about her niece, and refers to her as “Princess Sofia.” The 18-time Slam champion even dedicated a heartfelt post to her niece Remi on her birthday on February 6.

Still rocking the sport with a formidable presence, Evert now utilizes her post-retirement journey to provide expert analysis at key events. She currently moonlights as a tennis commentator for ESPN and just recently, shared her verdict on the newly minted men’s and women’s champions at the Indian Wells Masters. “Wow. Mirra Andreeva and Jack Draper… Their future is right now and tennis is looking better than ever! Congratulations,” she wrote on X.

Moreover, the former WTA ranking leader, alongside fellow player Martina Navratilova, also raised her concerns against the induction of tour-level events in the Middle East. From managing her Evert Tennis Academy, to recusing herself from cancer twice, the American star has been through a lot since retirement.

Hailing from a strict Catholic God-fearing environment, Evert learned the ropes at the ripe age of 18 when she first joined the tour. The veteran recently narrated her touching story, and how she endured the trauma from cancer.

Chris Evert admitted being a professional athlete ‘helped her tremendously’ in her fight against cancer

Chris Evert was first diagnosed with early-stage Ovarian cancer in 2021. What was rather damning was that the tests positively tested her for the BRCA1 variant, the same genetic variant that led to the tragic passing of her sister, Jeanne Evert Dubin, to ovarian cancer in 2020. Though she defeated the disease after undergoing surgery, Evert revealed that her cancer came back in December 2023, a little more than a year after being in remission. “Doctors are always hopeful,” she told the Times. “If something returned the second time, there’s more of a chance that it’s going to return.”

Now cancer-free, Evert sat for an exclusive interview with ‘We Are Tennis’ and highlighted how being a professional athlete added to her chances against the deadly disease. “I think just being a top professional athlete, you have to have thick skin anyway, and you have to have a backbone, and you have to be used to ups and downs and bad losses and good losses,” Evert said.

She continued, “I think that has helped me tremendously in this fight. I think it’s the competition and being a professional athlete has helped me. I also think it’s my nature to be pretty patient about things. I have always taken blows pretty well, emotionally and mentally, so you say this and then, I don’t know.”

While Evert is currently scrolling through the new chapter in her life – and recording invaluable moments with her family – it won’t be long before fans get to see the American veteran return back to the fold with mic in hand again.