There was a time when tennis legend Chris Evert was considered the finest player in the world. She had an impressive and trophy-laden career, winning 18 major titles. Evert grew up in a tennis family and her father was a professional tennis coach. 

From an early age, she, along with her siblings, learned to play tennis under their father’s tutelage. Chris Evert has had a fascinating life narrative to go along with her impressive tennis career. During a recent interview, she revealed how helpless she felt in the presence of her controlling father.

Chris Evert and her helplessness toward her father

In a recent podcast, Evert opened up about her childhood best friend, and how strict and dominant her father was. “So I would go over to her house and swim and we would have barbeques, and all of a sudden, one day, my dad picked me up from school and he brought me to a holiday park, and I’m like “what the..” Of course, I wasn’t thinking that, but I was like crushed,” said the 67-year-old

She further went on to show her disappointment towards her father by saying, “I was crushed and he started bringing me over to Holiday Park every day and there was no more care-abounded umm pool parties except maybe on the weekends, but even that fizzled out. When I started playing tournaments on the weekend. So I was definitely resentful in the beginning, as resentful as a 5-year-old or 6-year-old could feel. But it’s not a nice feeling. I couldn’t voice my opinion because my dad was a very dominant kind of guy. He was. You didn’t say no to him. You know, he was very strict and I do remember feeling resentful.“

Evert’s Inspirational work off the court

The International Tennis Hall of Famer serves as an example both on and off the court through her work with the USTA Foundation and her courageous fight against ovarian cancer.

READ MORE: ‘I’m a Wreck..’- Chris Evert Gets Real About the Adversities of Life and How Tennis Helped Her Find Solace

Evert was honored with the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award for all she has accomplished throughout her career.

WATCH THE STORY: When princess Diana showed her vulnerable side to Chris Evert about having wedding jitters

Despite retiring from professional tennis, she has maintained her position as someone whom people can look up to. As the chair of the USTA Foundation and the director of the Evert Tennis Academy, she has done a lot to promote the sport. Evert has been vocal in her support of expanding access to education and other resources for the next generation.