‘She’s So Darn Small’- Controversial Tennis Icon Once Killed Chris Evert’s Father’s Hopes With Her Powerful Stroke Play
06 March, 2023
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He taught his young daughter but felt she lacked some basic and necessary requirements that one would need to be a great and successful tennis player. So much so that, he once expressed his frustration at her for not being what he wished her to be.
Chris Evert is a tennis sensation. Whenever she stepped onto the court, fans would come rushing in. However, this is not something that her father and coach Jimmy Evert could envision.
The ‘Ice Maiden’ Chris Evert, whose father wished her to be different.
Everybody loved her feminine demeanor yet powerful game. But her father and coach Jimmy Evert did not know her petite frame was good enough to be the best.
Chris Evert was an American dream whenever she stepped onto the court.
Evert is always hailed for her astoundingly strong baseline game.
In the book, The Rivals: Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova Their Epic Duels and Extraordinary Friendship, the author breaks down the thought process of Evert’s father.
Jimmy Evert taught her this so that she does not put herself to risk a lot on the court.
Her most-revered two-handed backhand was developed out of necessity because she was unable to do it single-handedly.
Her father tried really hard, but it was not to any avail. And when he saw her playing like that, he said, “Forget it.”
Envisioning his daughter to be the greatest on the WTA tour became even more difficult once he saw Margaret Court play.
After seeing Court play during a practice session, he expressed his frustration to himself. He thought. “Why, Chrissie can’t stay with them at all. They hit the ball so hard! And she’s so darn small.” However, Evert proved everyone wrong. She did not just master her two-handed backhand shot but became the heartbeat of American tennis.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion had come to the US and Chris Evert was only 14 at that point.
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