‘Put It in My…’ – The Moment Martina Navratilova Turned to Mischief to Put a Smile on Rival and Friend Chris Evert’s Face After a Disappointing Defeat

While speaking of the greatest sporting rivalries the world has ever seen, one just simply cannot look past the rivalry between Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. Having played each other for the first time in 1973, these 2 women caused mayhem in the world of tennis with their undisputed dominance on the court throughout the 1970s and 80s. The rivals also paired up together to play doubles together, and quite unsurprisingly, found success as a team. If there’s one thing that can triumph over Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert’s legendary rivalry, it is their amazing friendship, on and off the court.

Navratilova’s uniquely heartwarming gesture for Evert in 1976 is a testament to their unadulterated bond.

Navratilova’s amusing act to cheer up Evert

In the 1976 Virginia Slims of Houston tennis tournament, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova lost the women’s doubles final to Francoise Durr (Frankie) and Rosie Casals. This happened right after Evert lost the women’s singles final to Navratilova. This seemingly made Evert quite upset. In an attempt to uplift Evert’s mood, Martina Navratilova took inspiration from Francoise’s pet dog Topspin, in a hilarious yet heartwarming gesture.

She opened up about her amusing act in her biography, named ‘Being Myself’, which she co-authored along with George Vecsey.

“After we went out there and lost the doubles, too, I wanted to do something to lighten the mood… So they beat us and Topspin did his usual excellent job of taking Frankie’s racquet and marching off the court with her. I figured, Why not? so I grabbed Chris’s racquet, put it in my teeth, and walked off the court behind her. I got a laugh out of her.”, an excerpt from the book read.

Navratilova’s amusing gesture was enough to lift the spirits of Evert. It exemplifies not only the deep friendship shared by the 2 rivals but also the warm-hearted and amiable nature of Navratilova.

Despite enjoying one of the most famed friendships, both Navratilova and Evert remained archrivals on the tour until the Ice Maiden’s retirement.

READ MORE: ‘I’m an American Citizen, I’m Gay and They Are Still..’- Despite Crushing Defeat, Martina Navratilova Was Overwhelmed With Emotions Owing to an Unexpected Reception From Fans

Martina Navratilova versus Chris Evert – a rivalry like no other

To many tennis purists, the rivalry between Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert is still the greatest tennis rivalry ever, even ahead of the iconic Roger Federer – Rafael Nadal rivalry. This claim can be backed up by the sheer number of high-profile matches that Navratilova and Evert have played against each other. They have played a whopping 80 matches against each other, 60 of which were tournament finals. Navratilova leads the head-to-head record between the two – 43 match wins to that of Evert’s 37.

Having said that, their rivalry is all the more iconic because of their genuine friendship and respect for each other, much like that of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. This goes on to show that rivalries are immortalized not only through intense battles on the court, but also through mutual respect and admiration between the rivals.

WATCH THIS STORY: Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer