‘You’re the Chris Evert?’ – Martina Navratilova’s Grandmother’s First Reaction Upon Meeting Her Grand Daughter’s Rival in the United States

American tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert give us the perfect example of workplace friendship. The two have extended their camaraderie even after retirement. Both tennis stars have faced a fair share of difficulties in their lives and the two always stood by each other.

Interestingly, they were such great rivals on the court that it was hard to imagine them as mates. Their bond was so strong because of the trust and respect they have for each other. In her autobiography, Navratilova mentions the same. A beautiful instance in their friendship was when Navratilova introduced her grandmother to Evert.

Chris Evert meets Navratilova’s grandmother

Navratilova was born in the Czech Republic. The European nation, then, was going through political turmoil back then. Owing to this, the tennis star decided to take asylum in the US. Staying away from her family, her friendship with Chris Evert grew further. When Navratilova’s grandmother arrived in the US for the first time, she took her straight to see Evert.

She must have already heard a lot about Evert from her granddaughter. And with big eyes, “You’re the Chris Evert?” her grandmother asked in Czech.

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Both Evert and Navratilova finished with the exact same number of Grand Slam titles(18).

When the competitive spirit came in the way of friendship

It is always hard to maintain a friendly relationship if you are rivals, professionally. Similar things started happening in the case of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. While the two were great as a pair in doubles, in singles, they had to face off quite often. In an interview, Chris Evert admitted that their friendship started to fall apart because of the pressure of competition.

“When she started beating me, I couldn’t handle it. We kind of broke apart. I felt that emotionally the friendship was interfering. I was too immature to handle it, I know that now,” she said.

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It might have been a tough phase for both of them, but they still managed their careers and friendships side by side. The way they have maintained the relationship is exemplary.