‘For It Was in New York…’- When Chris Evert’s Father Looked Back at His Love Story With Wife Colette

Chris Evert, the 18 times Grand Slam champion, is one of the most successful players in tennis history. She ruled the courts for decades and brought huge amounts of fans to WTA. Evert, in a way, strengthened the foundation that Billie Jean King laid. Therefore, only thinking of her not being in the sport is something very hard to digest.

The privilege and attention that WTA enjoys today would have been just a dream if a player of her capacity wasn’t a part of history. The same thought haunted her father once. As he was just a step away from taking a path that would not have had Evert in its future.

Jimmy Evert talks about how fate works

Jimmy Evert, the former World no.1’s father, spent his life happily raising his five children with the delightful Colette Thompson. However, in 1997, he looked back at how well everything turned out and expressed himself. He said, “I have often wondered what my life would have been like if I had not gone to New York that summer.”

“For it was in New York that I met Colette at a wedding. Two years later, we married and then started a family.” He added. Evert met Colette for the first time in 1950, and fate had a major role in it. Because his initial plans would have taken him to Fort Lauderdale.

Read more: ‘Never Had Anyone Close to Me Die’ – When Chris Evert Made a Painful Comparison About Her Bitter Marriage With John Lloyd

Though a budget cut happened and he received an offer that demanded him to provide his service up north, which he accepted and found Colette. They exchanged vows in 1952 and two years later welcomed their daughter Chris Evert.

How life panned out for Chris Evert

The seven times French Open champion under her father’s guidance debuted in the year 1972. Not much after that, she asserted dominance over the sport and claimed the crown of World no.1. Evert held the ranking for a record 260 weeks and brought 157 singles and 32 doubles titles under her name.

Watch this story: Chris Evert looks back at her astounding rivalry with Martina Navratilova and the negative impact of her 13-match losing streak

Further, she executed an 80-match-long magnificent rivalry with the Czech American Martina Navratilova. Also, she helped America win eight Fed Cups. The veteran retired from the sport in 1989 and got inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.