‘Gone in the Opposite Direction’ – When Chris Evert Vowed to Not Put Pressure on Her Kids to Be Immensely Successful

Chris Evert is one of the most celebrated veterans of this sport. She is famous for bringing crowds of fans to her matches with her excellent skills. Also, people consider her rivalry with Martina Navratilova as WTA’s biggest game-changer. The 18 times Grand Slam champion always maintained a calm and composed demeanor throughout her game which kept her opponents in a dilemma and thrilled the audience.

However, she didn’t develop such a supreme level of hold on her nerves overnight. Evert learned through her journey. Though it wasn’t an easy task and therefore she is always cautious about such things when it comes to her children.

Chris Evert about handling pressure

In a 1997 interview, Evert opened up about her coping mechanism, how she developed it and what the entire process taught her. She said, “I think I handled the pressure. My mom often said to me, ‘I’m glad it was you for the simple reason that you could handle it.'”

“But it wasn’t always easy. I remember being really nervous competing in junior tournaments. And when you’re young, you don’t know where to channel it,” Evert confessed.

Thereafter, she added, “So I’ve sort of gone in the opposite direction. Alex does karate, and he loves it. I watch him and support him, but his teacher wanted him to be in a tournament, and I said, ‘I don’t think so. He’s 5 years old, and that’s kind of young to be in a tournament.'”

Read more: ‘Went the Other Way With My Sons’- Chris Evert Once Detailed How Different Parenting Style Made Her Sons ‘Very Kind and Loving’

The seven times French Open champion is a mother of three children, namely Colton Jack, Nicholas Joseph and Alexander James. Being a part of the sports world, she has seen the level of dedication it demands. Further, she is also aware of the toxins a competitive sport can bring to an athlete’s life. Therefore, her letting her kids have as much as they can swallow makes sense.

What is Evert up to these days?

The former World no.1 said goodbye to her illustrious career in 1986, after which she got inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and jumped into the field of broadcasting. Evert chose to stay in touch with the sport and put her knowledge and understanding to use.

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

She has been providing her services to ESPN since 2011 and is responsible for covering all four Grand Slams of a season. Further, apart from that, the veteran participates actively in fundraisers and campaigns for social betterment. Also, she runs Chris Evert charities that focus on issues such as drug abuse and child neglect.