The period of the ’80s and the ’90s was a turning point for women in tennis. The sport saw some of the best players like Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert dominate the court and win most of the laurels. Not only were they successful on the court but also motivated many youngsters off the court. Eventually, it gave rise to players like Serena Williams and Venus Williams, who carried the baton forward. However, talking about the current crop of players, Navratilova has made a tongue-in-cheek remark.

Earlier today, Christiane Amanpour, the Chief International Anchor of CNN spoke with Navratilova and Evert, where the duo talked about their rivalry, friendship, and how they transformed tennis. Amid this, Evert recalled one of her biggest contributions to the sport, saying, “If I had one thing that I can remember is that I helped to bring a lot of young girls to the sport. It’s ok to sweat, it’s ok to have muscles, it’s ok to get mad on the court, it’s ok to be strong but I went out of my way to wear big tails with ribbons and I wore nail polish. I still want to be a teenage girl.”

Evert was among the best-dressed players during her playing days and as many say, she played with a lot of flair. Subsequently, Navratilova took a cheeky dig at the current crop of players with a witty remark about their appearance. She mentioned, “Nowadays, players are wearing more mascara than Chris ever did.” Everyone burst into laughter as Navratilova showed her sense of humor.

Despite ending their playing careers long ago, Navratilova and Evert have remained active in the tennis world and often give valuable inputs on current happenings in the sport. A couple of months back, Evert recalled her rivalry with Navratilova, as she witnessed the two American stars Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula compete.

Chris Evert recollects her battles against Martina Navratilova

At the WTA Berlin tournament, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula clashed against each other in the semifinals. Interestingly, at the same tournament, the two also played doubles together. Gauff and Pegula have been long-time partners in the doubles and are also good friends on and off the court. Watching their match, Evert remembered the times when she had to play against Navratilova.

Evert and Navratilova enjoyed one of the greatest rivalries in the tennis circuit. When Pegula played against Gauff in the singles, while being her doubles partner in the same tournament, Evert mentioned, “As I watch this @JPegula @CocoGauff match, I realize how tough it is competing against your friend/ practice partner/ doubles partner.” 

Pegula went on to defeat Gauff in straight sets in that match. While the two remain good friends, Gauff and Pegula have now ended their doubles partnership, with the former more keen to focus on her singles game. Do you think Gauff can defend her title at the upcoming US Open? Let us know in the comments.