‘I Wanted to Please Him’ – Chris Evert Once Cited Steffi Graf and Jimmy Connors’ Examples to Prove How Success and Dominant Parents Go Hand-In-Hand

Becoming good in any field requires a sacrifice of some kind and a tremendous amount of effort. Reaching the level of the greats is another discussion entirely. Chris Evert was aware of what was required to win contests at the highest level, such as the Grand Slam events. Being one of the most dominant players in the sport, Chris Evert once spoke about having a determined parent who was intent on helping her reach the top while taking the example of fellow legends like Steffi Graf and Jimmy Connors.

She gave a lot of credit to parents who know how to push their children and have the same opinion as her father.

Chris Evert on dominant parenting and its benefits

Evert went on an interview with Charlie Rose in 1994. Rose asked her various questions, including what drives her and anyone in general to reach the pinnacle in their field. Chris Evert strongly believed that it was a need for approval. Citing her own experience, she further said that for a long time, she played tennis for her father, and she felt the need to please him even though she enjoyed the sport by itself.

“You know, I think a lot of it is wanting approval. I know I played tennis for a long time for my father, you know. He was my coach and my inspiration, and I wanted to please him. Not that I didn’t enjoy it. I did enjoy it,” Evert replied to Charlie Rose during her interview. “I think a lot of it is wanting to please somebody,” she continued.

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She also stated that Steffi Graf and Jimmy Connors sort of had the same situation with a dominant parent, who pushed them towards greatness in their profession. She said, “But for a long time, when I was a kid, and I think Steffi, you know, she has a dominant father in her life, and Jimmy Connors had a dominant mother.“

Evert also believes that talent in any field can be seen early on in life and that it is something a person is born with.

Chris Evert’s strict father

Winning 18 Grand Slam titles is no minor accomplishment. One has to sacrifice and make enormous efforts. That was just the case for Chris Evert. Jimmy Evert was a strict parent who closely monitored the development of all of his children with a tight fist. In an interview with ‘Fantastic News’, Evert talked about how her father took her to a tennis court when she turned five and did the same for her siblings.

She recalled hanging out with her friend when she was five. She and her friend were eating hamburgers when her father appeared and dragged her to the court. Evert explained that although she was mad, she suppressed it because she feared punishment. Evert eventually got over the feelings. She developed a love for the sport and became one of the best players of all time.

Watch this story – After a Tarnishing Marriage With Greg Norman, Ex-wife Chris Evert Bemoaned Her Plaguing Guilt, Just Months After Their Acrimonious Split