Tennis courts may be the battlegrounds of grit and fiery matches, but they’re also where lifelong bonds are created. Some of these connections are so special that they transcend the game, continuing to shine long after the players have hung up their racquets. One such enduring friendship is between Chris Evert and the iconic Billie Jean King—a bond that epitomizes mutual respect and admiration. Once again, Evert has reminded us of this beautiful connection by penning a heartfelt tribute to King, celebrating her remarkable legacy and impact on not just the sport, but herself too. 

King celebrated her birthday on 22nd November as she turned 81. Several fans and colleagues joined to wish her good health and well-being. But the one that stood out was a message from Evert who did not just highlight her professional prowess but also shared the impact of King on her own life. 

Taking to X, Evert shared a picture with King and wrote, “Happy ( late in the day) Birthday to my mentor, therapist, former rival, hero, and great friend ⁦ @BillieJeanKing ⁩ … You  continue to amaze and inspire me…❤️🎂🎈”. Evert and King share a very old bond having played 26 matches against each other on the WTA Tour. Despite winning 19 of these, Evert’s admiration for King has not declined as can be evidenced by her latest post. This, however, is not the first time that a reflection of their bond has come to light.

King recently tweeted a photo with Evert lauding her over her 49-year-old history where she became the first-ever world’s number one WTA player. “49 years ago today, on November 3, 1975, @ChrissieEvert became the first-ever No. 1 ranked player in the @WTA. She would hold the No. 1 spot for a total of 260 weeks,” King captioned the image. Evert was quick to respond as she reshared the post and added four red heart emojis expressing her love for King’s incredible appreciation.

Besides, when King attended a session at the Forbes 30/50 summit in Abu Dhabi last year, and shared some deep insights into her idea of inclusivity, Evert was among the first to sing her praises. Taking to X, she wrote, “So smart…. And caring…..” Interestingly, this bond did not just start to take shape after the retirement of both players but remained as strong even during their playing days.

When Chris Evert revealed how Billie Jean King rallied behind her during tour days

Chris Evert quickly gained enormous success at a very young age through her skills and determination for the sport. In 1971, a 17-year-old Evert rose to fame and became quite a formidable opponent for many on the tour including Billie Jean King. This also helped her gain sponsors and kept her in the limelight, which reportedly did not go well with many, who chose to isolate her. At this moment, King came to Evert’s rescue and held meetings with the players to make them understand the situation.

Speaking in an interaction with Debbie Millman, Evert shared, “There were some of them that were nice, by the way. I wasn’t there, but supposedly, Billie Jean King had a meeting with the other players. She said, ‘Listen, Chrissie is putting money in our pockets. She is bringing more people to the table, to the matches; she is bringing more sponsorship, more money, more publicity, and more TV, and this is very important for the growth of the game of women’s tennis. You are lucky that she’s there.”

As their bond continues to grow, it would be interesting to see how the two express their love and admiration for each other. Will King respond to Chris Evert’s latest post? That remains to be seen.