‘We Had Tears Over It’ – 50 Years After Creating Tennis’ Greatest Rivalry, Chris Evert Emotionally Reveals How Cancer Altered Her Dynamic With Martina Navratilova Forever

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert are tremendous inspirations as tennis players, rivals, and good friends who have been together through good and difficult times. It all started with competing against one another on the tennis court. But after years of rivalry, they now shine as an example of rivals-turned-friends in the sports realm. While Navratilova won 167 singles titles, Evert won 154 singles titles. Evert won 18 major singles championships, and so did her arch-rival. They literally grew up together as tennis players and ruled the courts at the same time. It created an inseparable bond that stood the test of time and life-threatening diseases!

Recently, the ‘Ice Maiden’ discussed how they spend their days together while battling cancer. And it is unquestionably a tale of best friends who don’t leave each other’s side ‘in sickness and in health’.

How Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert spent their days together while battling cancer? 

Both the tennis legends were archrivals during their heyday on the WTA Tour. But, now, with time, they have turned out to be close friends. Recently, in a special edition of The Legends Voice, Evert, in a conversation with Eurosport, opened up about how she and her best buddy, Martina Navratilova, spent some of their toughest days together.

She said, “Martina Navratilova was one of the first people I told about my cancer, and I think I was one of the first people she told when she was diagnosed with cancer. It’s just ironic that both of us experienced that at the same time. We had tears over it and we visited each other. We text each other a lot and we have gotten closer as a result.”

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It’s not just Evert who feels this way about their close bond. A few months ago,Navratilova once explained that she will never leave her best friend’s side.

How did the greatest rivalry turn into a beautiful friendship bond? 

Every tennis fan was eager to witness their favorite player when the Evert-Navratilova rivalry first began in the 70s. For the first 16 years, they were renowned for having one of the fiercest rivalries, and possibly the best, in the sport. Th entertainment they brought to the tennis court enthralled spectators.

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Additionally, the two of them were diametrically opposed to one another; they were like fire and ice. While Navratilova usually spoke her opinion first, Chris was more reserved and kept her emotions in check, earning the title ‘Ice Maiden’. However, as time went on and they continued to compete on the circuit, both of them made it clear that, off the tennis court, they were very supportive of one another. Notably, a lot has changed in the 50 years since their rivalry first began. And they are now the most incredible friends the tennis world has ever known.