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Chris Evert: The French Open Wonder Girl

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Chris Evert: The French Open Wonder Girl

The easygoing Christine Marie “Chris” Evert was always a favourite at the All England Club Championships. But the American wonder’s style was more amenable to the relatively steadier clay pastures of the French showdown at Roland Garros, where she recorded a stunning seven Grand Slam victories. Yet she was no letdown at grass either and proved herself to have abundant expertise to shine at all surfaces. Although Evert frequently found herself outsmarted by Martina Navratilova at the SW19, she did manage to lift the coveted title three times - in 1974, ’76 and ’81. In all, Evert appeared at ten Wimbledon finals. After succumbing to countrywoman Billie Jean King at her first SW19 appearance, Evert took the title the following year when she overcame the Russian Olga Morozova in the final display. In 1976, the American overpowered Evonne Cawley to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish for the second time. Cawley avenged the 1976 defeat by humbling Evert at the 1980 Wimbledon final showdown. However, she made up for the loss the next year, taking her last Wimbledon title against Czech Republic’s Hana Mandlikova.

Born on December 21, 1954, in Florida U.S.A., to a family rich in tradition of tennis players, Chris Evert seemed destined to take to the sport’s highest level even as a very young girl. Her father, Jimmy Evert, was a professional tennis trainer and mother, Colette Thompson, was a club competitor. Chris became a professional in 1972 after having assumed the mantle of America’s best 14-under tennis player by 1969. Between 1974 and 1986, Evert lifted at least one Grand Slam singles’ trophy each year. The American reigned supreme over women’s World Rankings from 1975 till 1982, and did not fall below the fourth spot till her retreat from the sport in 1989. Evert’s double-handed backhand gained recognition as one of the game’s distinctively spectacular shots.

The French Open became Chris Evert’s palpable speciality. She took her first Roland Garros title in 1974, and then went on establish nearly two decades of dominance at the clay courts that were to become synonymous with the name Evert. She repeated the 1974 feat on an astonishing six more occasions - in 1975, ’79, ’80, ’83, ’85 and ’86, three times beating her bitter rival Martina Navratilova to the trophy.   

There is no questioning Evert would have landed countless more titles had she not had the misfortune of finding Martina Navratilova as a contemporary. Indeed the American’s greatest professional feud came with the wonder from Czechoslovakia, yet away from the tennis courts, the two women with radically different personalities developed a blooming friendship. The two players came head-to-head 80 times during their professional careers, and Navratilova overcame Evert’s initial lead to conclude the run with a tally of 43-37. The ladies encountered each other at the Wimbledon Ladies Singles’ finals five times, with Navratilova beating the spectators’ beloved on every occasion. Evert eventually exacted her reprise at the 1985 final showdown at Roland Garros, when she finally overcame Navratilova, demolishing her 6-3, 6-7 and 7-5. In doing so, Evert also put an end to her rival’s thirteen match unbeaten streak against her. Evert remarked that her triumph over Navratilova came when she had ultimately managed to vanquish the psychological demons that came to plague her every time she faced her most significant adversary.      

Meanwhile, Evert made headlines for her personal life, which got glamorously intertwined with tennis when she got engaged to men’s leading player and fellow countryman Jimmy Connors. The celebrated pair grabbed more attention than ever in 1974, when both Evert and Connors landed themselves the Wimbledon final singles’ trophy. However, the pair never tied the knot, and Evert went on to marry English tennis professional John Lloyd in 1979.

Evert currently busies herself with the management of a tennis instruction school she inaugurated in Boca Raton, Florida. The American virtuoso also serves as a tennis instructor at the Saint Andrew’s High School.

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