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Chris Evert
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Christine Marie "Chris" Evert (Evert-Lloyd 1979–1987) (born December 21, 1954) is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record 7 at the French Open. According to the Women's Tennis Association, she was the year-ending World No. 1 singles player in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, and 1981 and, according to many sources, in 1974 and 1978.
Evert's career win–loss record in singles matches of 1,309–146 (.900) is the best of any professional player in tennis history.
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Encyclopedia
Christine Marie "Chris" Evert (Evert-Lloyd 1979–1987) (born December 21, 1954) is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record 7 at the French Open. According to the Women's Tennis Association, she was the year-ending World No. 1 singles player in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, and 1981 and, according to many sources, in 1974 and 1978.
Evert's career win–loss record in singles matches of 1,309–146 (.900) is the best of any professional player in tennis history. In tennis writer Steve Flink's book The Greatest Tennis Matches of the Twentieth Century, he named Evert as the third best female player of the 20th century, after Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova. Evert never lost in the first round of a Grand Slam singles tournament, her earliest exits being in the third round. In women's doubles, Evert won three Grand Slam titles. Her husband is professional golfer Greg Norman.
Tennis career
Evert began taking tennis lessons when she was five years old from her father, Jimmy Evert (a professional tennis coach who had won the men's singles title at the Canadian Championships in 1947). By 1969, she had become the No. 1 ranked 14-under girl in the United States. Evert played her first senior tournament in that year also, reaching the semifinals in her home town of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, losing to Mary Ann Eisel 7–5, 3–6, 6–1. (For many years, this set the record for the furthest a player had reached in her first senior level tournament. That record was broken when another Floridian, Jennifer Capriati, reached the final of the tournament in Boca Raton, Florida in 1990 at the age of 13.) In 1970, Evert won the national sixteen-and-under championship and was invited to play in an eight player clay court tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 15 year-old Evert defeated Françoise Durr 6–1, 6–0 in the first round before defeating Margaret Court 7–6, 7–6 in a semifinal. Court was the World No. 1 and had just won the Grand Slam in singles. These results led to Evert's selection for the U.S. Wightman Cup team, the youngest player ever in the competition.
Evert made her Grand Slam tournament debut at the 1971 US Open, aged 16, receiving an invitation after winning the national sixteen-and-under championship. After an easy straight-sets win over Edda Buding in the first round, she faced the U.S. No. 4 Mary Ann Eisel in the second round. Evert saved six match points with Eisel serving at 6–4, 6–5 (40–0) in the second set before Evert went on to win 4–6, 7–6, 6–1. She made two further comebacks against Durr (2–6, 6–2, 6–3) and Lesley Hunt (4–6, 6–2, 6–3), both seasoned professionals, before losing to Billie Jean King in a semifinal. This defeat ended a 46-match winning streak built up through carefully selected participation in senior tour events.
Evert was the runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon in 1973. A year later, she won both those events to claim her first Grand Slam singles titles and won 55 consecutive matches. Her fiancé at the time, Jimmy Connors, won the Wimbledon men's singles title that year and media attention surrounded the "Love Match" of tennis that summer (although the relationship proved to be short-lived).
Connors and Evert were also finalists in mixed doubles at the 1974 US Open, although Evert rarely played that event. As time went by, Evert played women's doubles less frequently, preferring to devote her energies to singles tournaments.
For the next five years, Evert was the World No. 1. In 1975, she won the French Open again and the first of four straight US Open titles by defeating Evonne Goolagong Cawley in a three-set final. She also won Wimbledon again in 1976, again beating Goolagong in a three-set final. In all, Evert won 21 of her 33 matches with Goolagong. Evert's domination of the women's game and her calm, steely demeanor on court earned her the nickname of the "Ice Maiden" of tennis.
A new rival to Evert's dominance emerged on the scene in the later part of the 1970s in the form of Martina Navratilova. Though good friends off the court, their fierce on-court rivalry is remembered as one of the greatest in tennis history. Evert had the best of their earlier encounters, with Navratilova eventually gaining the upper hand during the 1980s.
Though successful on all surfaces, it was on clay courts where Evert was most dominant. Beginning in August 1973, she won 125 consecutive matches on the surface, with a loss of only 7 sets, a run which continues to stand as the record among both men and women players. The streak was broken on May 12, 1979, in a semifinal of the Italian Open, when Evert lost to Tracy Austin 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(4) after Evert lost a game point to go up 5–2 in the third set. Evert said after the match, "Not having the record will take some pressure off me, but I am not glad to have lost it." Evert then won 72 consecutive matches on clay before losing in a semifinal of the 1981 French Open to Hana Mandlikova. Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling had a similar run of clay court dominance from 1935 through 1939, winning the French Championships three consecutive years (not playing there the other two years) and incurring only one loss on clay during that five year period.
Evert won the French Open singles title a record seven times. Two of her victories came in three-set finals against Navratilova. In 1985, Evert prevailed 6–3, 6–7, 7–5, a win that saw her capture the World No. 1 ranking for the fifth and final time. And, in 1986, the 31 year-old Evert won her last Grand Slam title by beating Navratilova 2–6, 6–3, 6–3.
Evert retired from the professional tour in 1989. During her career, she won 157 singles titles and 8 doubles titles. Her record in finals was 157–72 (.686). She reached the semifinals in 273 of the 303 tournaments she entered. Evert won the WTA Tour Championships 4 times and helped the United States win the Fed Cup 8 times. Evert's last match was a 6–3, 6–2 win over Conchita Martínez in the final of the 1989 Fed Cup.
Evert won at least one Grand Slam singles title each year for 13 consecutive years, from 1974 through 1986. She won 18 Grand Slam singles titles during her career: 7 at the French Open, 6 at the US Open (3 on clay and 3 on hard courts), 3 at Wimbledon, and 2 at the Australian Open (both on grass). She reached the finals in 34 and the semifinals in 52 of the 56 Grand Slams events she entered. Between September 1971 (her Grand Slam debut at the US Open) and June 1983 (her twelfth visit to Wimbledon), Evert never failed to reach at least the semifinals of the 34 Grand Slam singles events she participated in. This is an unparalleled record of consistency in the world's biggest tournaments. This record ended in the third round at Wimbledon in 1983, when the All England Club refused Evert's request to delay her match with Kathy Jordan to recover from food poisoning. This defeat also ended her attempt to be the holder of all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously. (Evert was then the holder of the Australian, US, and French titles.)
Evert's overall record in Grand Slam events was 297–38 .887 (72–6 at the French Open, 94–15 at Wimbledon, 101–13 at the US Open (most singles match wins in history), and 30–4 at the Australian Open). She reached the finals all 6 times she entered the Australian Open. Evert faced Navratilova in the final of 14 Grand Slam events, with Evert losing 10 of those encounters. (Navratilova defeated Evert at least once in the final of each of the four Grand Slam events, whereas three of Evert's four wins were at the French Open and the fourth was at the Australian Open.) Evert defeated Navratilova in the semifinals of the US Open (1975), Wimbledon (1976 and 1980), and the Australian Open (1988) but lost to Navratilova in the semifinals of the US Open (1981), Wimbledon (1987 and 1988), and the French Open (1987).
During her career versus selected rivals, Evert was: 40–6 against Virginia Wade, 37–43 against Martina Navratilova, 26–13 against Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 24–0 against Virginia Ruzici, 23–1 against Sue Barker, 22–0 against Betty Stöve, 22–1 against Rosemary Casals, 21–7 against Hana Mandlikova, 20–1 against Wendy Turnbull, 19–7 against Billie Jean King (winning the last 11 matches with a loss of only 2 sets), 19–3 against Pam Shriver, 18–2 against Kerry Melville Reid, 17–2 against Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere, 17–2 against Helena Suková, 17–3 against Andrea Jaeger, 16–3 against Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat, 15–0 against Olga Morozova, 13–0 against Françoise Durr, 9–4 against Margaret Court, 8–9 against Tracy Austin, 7–0 against Mary Joe Fernandez, 6–3 against Gabriela Sabatini, 6–5 against Nancy Richey Gunter (winning the last 6 matches), 6–8 against Steffi Graf (losing the last 8 matches), and 2–1 against Monica Seles.
Evert was voted the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year on four occasions and received Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportswoman of the Year" award in 1976. In April 1985, she was voted the "Greatest Woman Athlete of the Last 25 Years" by the Women's Sports Foundation. Evert served as President of the Women's Tennis Association from 1975–76, and from 1983 to 1991. In 1995, she was the fourth player ever to be unanimously elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame following a worldwide ballot of 185 sports journalists whilst 1999 saw Evert rated No. 50 among North American athletes of the 20th century. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine named her fourth on its list of TENNIS Magazine's 40 Greatest Players of the TENNIS Era.
Playing style
Evert's game was based on excellent stroke production technique, good balance and footwork, superb anticipation, steely concentration, unflappable temperament and mental fortitude, and an astute tactical sense. Her playing style, with precise groundstrokes delivered from the back of the court and landing within inches of the lines, was best suited to playing on clay. But she quickly proved that her game could excel on all surfaces. This was because Evert was an offensive rather than a defensive baseliner. She combined consistency of shotmaking with an excellent command of line, length, and angle from the backcourt. At the peak of her game, Evert was the most relentlessly accurate groundstroker since Maureen Connolly Brinker in the early 1950s.
When Evert first started playing as a youngster, she developed a two-handed backhand because she was too small and weak to hit backhand shots with one hand. This became a trademark of her game and inspired generations of future players to copy her. Evert's two-handed backhand allowed her to hit with power on the backhand as well as the forehand, and she was the first woman player of the open era to do this consistently.
Aside from her consistent and accurate groundstrokes, Evert possessed the best return-of-service of her generation (taken early and on the rise to deter the net-rusher or take command of a rally). Other hallmarks of her game included outstanding touch on the lob and drop shot and one of the best passing shots in the history of the women's game (honed to perfection by the need to counter the greatest serve-and-volley players of the open era - Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, and Martina Navratilova). Evert had a sufficient serve herself but never an overpowering one like her contemporaries Court, King, Navratilova, Virginia Wade, and Steffi Graf.
Evert's graceful appearance, conventional good looks, quiet demeanor, outward appearance of gracious sportsmanship, and carefully manipulated sex appeal and public image made her a favorite with the media and fans.
Personal life
Evert was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Colette Thompson and Jimmy Evert. Jimmy was a professional tennis coach, and tennis was a way of life in his family. Chris and her sister Jeanne Evert became professional tennis players, and their brother Jack Evert attended Auburn University, in Auburn, Alabama, on a full athletic scholarship for intercollegiate tennis. Evert is a 1973 graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale.
Early in her career, before she won her first Grand Slam event, Evert signed a contract with Puritan Fashions Corp. to endorse a line of sportswear. Company president Carl Rosen thought so highly of her that he named a yearling racehorse in her honor. The horse Chris Evert went on to win the 1974 U.S. Filly Triple Crown, be voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Filly, and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Evert's romance with the top men's player Jimmy Connors captured the public's imagination in the 1970s, particularly after they both claimed the singles titles at Wimbledon in 1974. Evert and Connors also occasionally played mixed doubles together. In 1974, they were runner-up at the US Open. They got engaged, but the romance did not last. A wedding planned for November 8, 1974, was called off.
In the years that followed, Evert was romantically linked with several other high-profile men, including Burt Reynolds, Geraldo Rivera, Adam Faith, Vitas Gerulaitis, and John Gardner "Jack" Ford, son of U.S. President Gerald Ford.
In 1979, Evert married the British tennis player John Lloyd and changed her name to "Chris Evert-Lloyd." This marriage ended in divorce in 1987.
In 1988, Evert married two-time Olympic downhill skier Andy Mill. They have three sons – Alexander James (born October 12, 1991), Nicholas Joseph (born June 8, 1994), and Colton Jack (born June 14, 1996). On November 13, 2006, Evert filed for divorce. The divorce was finalized on December 4, 2006, with Evert paying Mill a settlement of U.S. $7 million in cash and securities.
Evert and Australian golfer Greg Norman were married on June 28, 2008, in the Bahamas. She now lives in Boca Raton, Florida with Norman and her three sons.
Evert operates a tennis academy bearing her name in Boca Raton, Florida. She also helps coach the Saint Andrew's School high school tennis team.
Grand Slam singles finals
Wins (18)
| Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final | 1974 | French Open | Clay | Olga Morozova | 6–1, 6–2 | 1974 | Wimbledon | Grass | | 6–0, 6–4 | 1975 | French Open (2) | Clay | Martina Navratilova | 2–6, 6–2, 6–1 | 1975 | US Open | Clay | | 5–7, 6–4, 6–2 | 1976 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass | | 6–3, 4–6, 8–6 | 1976 | US Open (2) | Clay | | 6–3, 6–0 | 1977 | US Open (3) | Clay | Wendy Turnbull | 7–6, 6–2 | 1978 | US Open (4) | Hard | Pam Shriver | 7–5, 6–4 | 1979 | French Open (3) | Clay | | 6–2, 6–0 | 1980 | French Open (4) | Clay | Virginia Ruzici | 6–0, 6–3 | 1980 | US Open (5) | Hard | Hana Mandlikova | 5–7, 6–1, 6–1 | 1981 | Wimbledon (3) | Grass | | 6–2, 6–2 | 1982 | US Open (6) | Hard | | 6–3, 6–1 | 1982 | Australian Open | Grass | | 6–3, 2–6, 6–3 | 1983 | French Open (5) | Clay | Mima Jaušovec | 6–1, 6–2 | 1984 | Australian Open (2) | Grass | Helena Suková | 6–7, 6–1, 6–3 | 1985 | French Open (6) | Clay | | 6–3, 6–7, 7–5 | 1986 | French Open (7) | Clay | | 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
Runner-ups (16)
| Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final | 1973 | French Open | Clay | | 6–7, 7–6, 6–4 | 1973 | Wimbledon | Grass | Billie Jean King | 6–0, 7–5 | 1974 | Australian Open | Grass | | 7–6, 4–6, 6–0 | 1978 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass | Martina Navratilova | 2–6, 6–4, 7–5 | 1979 | Wimbledon (3) | Grass | | 6–4, 6–4 | 1979 | US Open | Hard | Tracy Austin | 6–4, 6–3 | 1980 | Wimbledon (4) | Grass | | 6–1, 7–6 | 1981 | Australian Open (2) | Grass | | 6–7, 6–4, 7–5 | 1982 | Wimbledon (5) | Grass | | 6–1, 3–6, 6–2 | 1983 | US Open (2) | Hard | | 6–1, 6–3 | 1984 | French Open (2) | Clay | | 6–3, 6–1 | 1984 | Wimbledon (6) | Grass | | 7–6, 6–2 | 1984 | US Open (3) | Hard | | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 | 1985 | Wimbledon (7) | Grass | | 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 | 1985 | Australian Open (3) | Grass | | 6–2, 4–6, 6–2 | 1988 | Australian Open (4) | Hard | Steffi Graf | 6–1, 7–6 |
Grand Slam women's doubles finals (4)
Wins (3)
| Year | Championship | Partnering | Opponents in Final | Score in Final | 1974 | French Open | Olga Morozova | Katja Ebbinghaus | 6–4, 2–6, 6–1 | 1975 | French Open (2) | Martina Navratilova | Olga Morozova | 6–3, 6–2 | 1976 | Wimbledon | | Billie Jean King
Betty Stöve | 6–1, 3–6, 7–5 |
Runner-up (1)
| Year | Championship | Partnering | Opponents in Final | Score in Final | 1988 | Australian Open | Wendy Turnbull | Martina Navratilova
Pam Shriver | 6–0, 7–5 |
Grand Slam mixed doubles final (1)
Runner-up (1)
| Year | Championship | Partnering | Opponents in Final | Score in Final | 1974 | US Open | Jimmy Connors | Pam Teeguarden
Geoff Masters | 6–1, 7–6 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| Tournament | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | Career SR |
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| Australian Open | A | A | A | F | A | A | A / A | A | A | A | F | W | A | W | F | NH | A | F | A | 2 / 6 | | French Open | A | A | F | W | W | A | A | A | W | W | SF | SF | W | F | W | W | SF | 3R | A | 7 / 13 | | Wimbledon | A | SF | F | W | SF | W | SF | F | F | F | W | F | 3R | F | F | SF | SF | SF | SF | 3 / 18 | | US Open | SF | SF | SF | SF | W | W | W | W | F | W | SF | W | F | F | SF | SF | QF | SF | QF | 6 / 19 | | SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 2 / 4 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 1 / 4 | 2 / 4 | 1 / 3 | 1 / 4 | 1 / 4 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 18 / 56 | | Year End Ranking | 10 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
NH = tournament not held.
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
See also
Footnotes
Further reading
External links
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