‘Refused to Grow Up’ – Martina Navratilova Fondly Recalled How Fun It Was to Play Against Chris Evert

What comes to your mind when talking about the most epic rivalries in tennis? Over the years, fans have enjoyed the encounters between the likes of Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams vs Venus Williams. One such epic rivalry grew in tennis between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova during the 80s and the 90s.

Their rivalry began in 1973 when Evert was already an established player on the tennis circuit and Navratilova had just begun her career. Over the next 15 years, the two played in some intense battles against each other. Overall, Navratilova had a superior head-to-head record of 43-37 against Evert. The former once opened up about her on-court rivalry with her good friend.

Martina Navratilova on playing against Chris Evert

During the shooting of their documentary film Unmatched, Navratilova talked about playing against her good friend. She said, “We refused to grow up for a while. We played a kid’s game for a living. How great is that? But we’ve grown up since then.”

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The documentary was created for ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series. It described the epic rivalry between Navratilova and Evert and their off-court friendship. The documentary was released in 2010.

Chris Evert receives a massive honor

Recently, the American legend received the Stuart Scott Enspire Award for her leadership with the USTA Foundation and her courageous fight against ovarian cancer. Earlier this year, Evert was diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer. Subsequently, in May, she completed all her chemotherapy sessions to treat this disease.

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Further, talking about the journey, she said, “I grew up in the public parks system. It provided an opportunity where I could set goals and I could play the sport that I loved. I believe that every child deserves at least this.” Indeed, Evert has been an inspiration on and off the court!