‘It Didn’t Sustain Itself’ – Martina Navratilova Once Proudly Reminisced How Her Rivalry With Chris Evert Surpassed the Likes of John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, and Boris Becker
Follow Us
American tennis legend, Martina Navratilova, was one of the top entertainers of her time. The 65-year-old gave many memorable performances in her long career. Among her most memorable moments on the tour, none surpasses the famed on-court battles that she had with her archrival, Chris Evert. Despite vying for the biggest trophies, the two shared a strong friendship that materialized during the initial stages of their rivalry.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
However, it has been a long time since we have seen such intense on-court rivalry in women’s tennis. Here’s what Navratilova thought of the same.
Martina Navratilova believes it’s a cycle
In an interview, back in 2012, Navratilova gave her opinion on the lack of top-level rivalry in women’s tennis, while men’s tennis is thriving with the big three (Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.)
“It’s just the sporting cycle. When it was Chris [Evert] and me, there was a flux in the men’s game. You had McEnroe, you had Becker, you had Borg, you had Connors, but it did not sustain itself.”
Trending
Coco Gauff Finds Captivating Way Out of Italian Open Misery as She Dazzles in Striking Day Out With Her Mother Candi
May 19, 2024 06:03 PM EDT
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Happy to Let Novak Djokovic Take the GOAT Crown After Heart-Felt Confession About Their Legacy
May 18, 2024 05:01 PM EDT
Roger Federer Turns Teary Eyed Over Wife Mirka Breaking 15-Year Long Silence for His Upcoming Documentary
May 15, 2024 05:45 AM EDT
Tennis Rumor: Paula Badosa’s Shock Reunion With Stefanos Tstisipas Days After Break-Up Will Surely Surprise Fans
May 18, 2024 06:13 PM EDT
‘Coco Won More Games’ – Aryna Sabalenka’s Misery Worsens as Gauff’s Fans Nitpick Her Faults Against Iga Swiatek at the Italian Open
May 18, 2024 08:39 PM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest Tennis stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
Going further, she pointed out the emergence of arguably the three GOATs in the same era in the men’s circuit.
“There were a lot of stars, but nobody really dominated for a long period. Now, of course, you have had Nadal v Federer for five or six years and now it has become Djokovic v Nadal. So now you have three of the greatest men’s players that ever played the sport playing at the same time,” she said.
Although there are a lot of young talented players on the WTA tour currently, over the years a fierce rivalry has been missing on the women’s tour.
When competitive spirit affected the friendship of Evert and Navratilova
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Navratilova and Evert are the perfect example of lifelong friends. However, playing against each other on the topmost level, understandably, affected their relationship to a small extent.
In an interview, Evert accepted that her relationship faltered with Navratilova when the latter started winning matches against her.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Watch this story: James Harden, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Other NBA Stars Who Have Played In The Drew League
However, with time, they both matured and managed their game and relationship simultaneously. Interestingly, both legends ended up with 18 Grand Slam singles titles and chose to continue in the sport as commentators and pundits after their retirement.
Edited by:
Tony Thomas