Chris Evert has etched her position as one of the legendary players on the women’s tour owing to her long list of on-court accolades. As is the case with any household figure in the sporting community, there was considerable intrigue about the American tennis legend’s personal life as well. The former tennis ace has been in a few high-profile relationships, including her first marriage with fellow tennis player John Lloyd.

Even though they parted ways in 1987,  the British tennis veteran has included some memories of his past relationship with Evert in his book. Reminiscing about the early phase of his first marriage, Lloyd opened up about how insecurity crept into him with the 18-time singles Grand Slam champion.

John Lloyd gets real about the early phase of his first marriage with Chris Evert

In the book Dear John: The John Lloyd Autobiography, the former British number 1 talked about how one cannot be ‘the first name on the page’ after marrying a ‘superstar’ like his ex-wife, Chris Evert. He said, “There were a number of occasions at cocktail parties in the States when people would say: ‘Mr Evert, your table is over here.’ When you marry a superstar, you have to accept that you are not going to be the first name on the page. Check the ego at the door.”

While dishing out some crucial advice, John Lloyd asserted that there is no room for ‘a big ego’ in a marriage. He said, “If you love someone and commit to someone and each know deep down it is a 50-50 relationship, there’s a chance of it working. If your ego is too big and can’t accept the situation, don’t get married in the first place. There were some blurred lines, though. Before I met her, I always flew business class.”

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As he married the 18-time singles Grand Slam champion, Lloyd also disclosed how there were some major disparities in their lavish lifestyles as his ex-wife had “expensive tastes.” The Brit stated, “Chrissie always flew first class. When we were married, did that mean I automatically flew first class, too? If it was the other way around and the husband had most of the money, his wife would be in first class if she travelled on her own. It would be a given. But with roles reversed? I don’t know. It just felt awkward. Chrissie had expensive tastes and quite rightly for one so successful.”

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He added, “But if I could afford a £1,000 ring for a Christmas gift, she would be more accustomed to wearing one ten times more expensive. If I could run to buying a Jaguar, Chrissie could afford a fleet of Bentleys. These are just silly, made-up examples, really, and nothing more than that. It is just to illustrate this was now my reality. Not that Chrissie made it an issue. While we were married, everything felt shared and she made sure it was never a problem. But it was an underlying factor for me, nonetheless.”

What do you think of the British tennis veteran going unfiltered about the early phase of his first marriage? Let us know in the comments section. 

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