‘She Was Really Depressed’ – Martina Navratilova Once Proved Her Great Rival Chris Evert Was Also Her Dear Friend With an Extraordinary Gesture

It was the 1981 Australian Open. Top seed, Chris Evert had reached the final and was looking to win her maiden Australian Open crown. She was up against her on-court rival and good friend, Martina Navratilova, in the summit clash.

The match began with Evert taking a keenly fought first set in the tiebreaker, winning it 7-6 (4). However, Navratilova came back strongly to level the match by winning the second set 6-4. She carried the momentum into the deciding set and won it 7-5 to claim the title. The manner of the loss depressed Evert, as she was very close to winning her first Australian Open title. Navratilova once opened up about how she consoled her good friend after defeating her.

When Martina Navratilova consoled Chris Evert

During an interview, Navratilova talked about how she consoled Evert after defeating her in the 1981 Australian Open final. She said, “She was really depressed. I remember consoling her after the match. I couldn’t walk out of there without doing that. I just saw her sitting there in the training room and she said to come over. I gave her a hug.”

The two have set a great example as far as rivals-turned-friends are concerned. During their careers, they enthralled fans across the globe with their audacious displays on the tennis court. Fans eagerly awaited to watch them play against each other.

READ MORE: ‘Her Little Eyes Got So Big’- Chris Evert’s Display of Empathy for a Young Martina Navratilova as She Was in Awe of the New-Found Independence in America

Earlier this year, Navratilova congratulated Evert after she completed her chemotherapy sessions and recovered from a stage 1C ovarian cancer.

Navratilova’s rivalry with Evert

Their rivalry is arguably one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the sport. Over the course of their careers, the two faced off against each other an astonishing 80 times. Such was their dominance during the 70s and the 80s, the two legends of the sport played 60 times in the finals of various tournaments. While Evert dominated the early course of their rivalry, Navratilova came back strongly, as she won 43 of her 80 matches against Evert.

Watch this story: How Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and Others Travel

The two also teamed up to form a formidable doubles pairing, winning the 1975 French Open and 1976 Wimbledon Championships.