Anyone who is a big fan of tennis is aware of the bond between Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. The two have faced each other 80 times during their heyday. While their on-court rivalry was one of the most intense, they have remained close friends off the court. Fortunately, their bond has survived all trials, as the two are still close friends. In fact, both of them were diagnosed with cancer, a difficult moment that has brought them closer. 

Martina Navratilova is one tennis personality who has had to deal with cancer twice in her life. Once in 2010, and again in 2022. Chris Evert is also another personality who has had difficult bouts with the deadly illness. Along with her own issues, she also lost her sister to the disease. 

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova’s bond stays strong even in illness

Now well into their retirement, the two are celebrating 50 years of their friendship. While the two have been in different relationships throughout their lives, no one knows them better than their best friend. Navratilova confirmed in a Washington Post Special about the two. “She knew me better than I knew me,” she told the reporters.

The two have been friends for half a century and, aside from close family, both Chrissie and Navratilova have known each other for the longest period. Navratilova explained, “I’ve known Chris longer than anybody else in my life, and so it is for her.”

Read more – Chris Evert Cites Gut-Wrenching Sister’s Example To Warn People About the Dangers of ‘Ignorance’ – ‘Trust Your Gut..’

Talking about the trials and tribulations they have faced in their life, Evert said, “It’s been up and down, the friendship,” Evert said.

Along with everything else that brings them close, cancer is also a weird commonality between them. Evert with Stage 1C ovarian cancer in January 2022, and Navratilova with stage 1 throat cancer in December 2022. With both suffering from the disease in the year, Evert was flabbergasted by the news. “It was like, are you kidding me?“ Evert said.

When the Czech-American was dealing with her second bout with the disease, Evert was right by her side. As per Navratilova, Evert went through a more harrowing time. With six chemotherapy sessions, there were difficulties in her daily life. But her overcoming the illness gave Navratilova the motivation to fight against her own diagnosis.

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