Chris Evert played a major role in increasing the popularity of the WTA. This eventually paved the way for the rise of female tennis players who wanted to have successful careers in the sport. Coming from a Catholic household where her family members adhered to conventional gender norms, Evert changed the dynamics of her family. It won’t be a stretch to say that the ‘Ice Maiden’ changed conventional norms of a Christian family even before the famed feminist movements of the 70s and the 80s.
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The American tennis legend is an avid supporter of women’s rights. However, at that point, she did not know how she was unintentionally changing the world for women, starting from her home.
How did Chris Evert redefine gender roles in her family?
Her father Jimmy Evert trained and taught the tennis legend Chris Evert. However, the gender roles were quite absolute in her catholic household.
In an interview with PBS in 2013, she stated, “I came from a very structured family… My father was the breadwinner… and my mom would take care of the kids.” Furthermore, she stated, “There were rules. My dad was the head of the family, no doubt about that.”
Looking back upon things and how it affected women, Evert realized how she played a role in ushering in a new era of working women. She stated, “That was the 60s. That was when society had rules for women and women did not work. Women were not equal to their men.”
But it was only her father who wanted her to pursue tennis and therefore trained her. Looking back upon it, she said, “It was kind of ironic that I pursued a career in that women were powerful and women were successful… That’s when my dad changed his philosophy on roles in the family.”
Conclusively, she revealed how the tables turned completely once she became an established star on the WTA Tour. She stated, “It was funny because I was going out and making a living and making a lot of money and my mom was traveling with me. My dad was staying at home and taking care of the kids.”
Jimmy Evert was a strict father and an even stricter coach, and Evert complied with whatever he had to say. But the dynamics changed once she proved herself on the court.
Evert on being raised by a strict father
The American tennis legend Chris Evert was raised in a catholic household and Evert’s father was very strict. This meant that Evert could not act on her own accord.
In a podcast called Fantastic Tennis, she stated she could not answer back to him. When it came to tennis, she did not have any choice because her father taught all five kids to play tennis.
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However, once Evert made a place for herself in the tennis world, she used her voice to raise the issue of equal pay. Now she also raises awareness about the early diagnosis of cancer after fighting a battle with ovarian cancer.
Written by
Edited by
Tony Thomas