Everyone loves the rare story of rivals turning into the best of friends, especially in the world of sports. Although it’s easier said than done, American tennis legend Chris Evert believes otherwise. In a recent statement, the World No.1 Novak Djokovic put forth his thoughts about being friends with his greatest rivals, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The ‘Big 3’ dominated the ATP Tour for more than two decades. Despite the rivalry both Federer and Nadal turned into best friends off the court, enthralling the tennis world with their unique camaraderie. Djokovic, however, never came close to breaking the boundaries set by their intense on-court rivalry.

As the Djoker recently opened up about the reasons for the same, Evert chimed in on the matter and gave her opinion. Despite spending her entire professional tennis career fighting for title against her archrival, Evert found no difficulty in turning her long time rival, Martina Navratilova, into her friend. They have now become not just friends, but the best of friends. Considering her unique bond with the 59-time Grand Slam champion, there might be no one better to advice Djokovic on this topic.

Chris Evert’s cheeky advice to Novak Djokovic

Tennis rivalries are what makes the matches themselves more exciting. However, with time, turning this rivalry into a genuine friendship can be a challenging feat. Djokovic recently opened up about the complexities of befriending his greatest rivals. He stated: “In the last 15 years I have seen more of Nadal and Federer than my parents. That means they have been a very important part of my life and my career.” Similarly, Evert delved into the challenges of nurturing friendships while locked in fierce competition.

Through a candid tweet, Evert responded to Djokovic’s revelation. She tweeted, “You will!! 😉😉😉”, hinting at a more optimistic perspective.

Evert, who shared a fierce on-court rivalry with Martina Navratilova, knows a thing or two about the intricacies of turning a competitive adversaries into a lifelong friendship.

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The uniqueness of Evert’s friendship with Navratilova

The ‘Ice Maiden’ affirmed Djokovic’s sentiments as she acknowledged the difficulty of becoming best friends during the heat of the game. Evert drew from her personal journey, emphasizing that the depth of her friendship with Navratilova blossomed after both legends hung up their racquets. It isn’t surprising when we consider how Evert and Navratilova faced each a whopping 80 times, with 60 of those in the finals of important tournaments. Navratilova ended with a lead of 43-37 over her best friend. Despite the intense competition in their professional career, both the ‘Ice Maiden’ and the 59-time Grand Slam champion were there for each other in their toughest battle, overcoming cancer.

The parallels between Djokovic’s acknowledgment and Evert’s experience highlight the universality of this phenomenon. The act of paving the way for friendships that transcend the boundaries of the game is not an easy task especially when you have rivals as strong as Nadal or Federer.

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