Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova are rightly regarded as legends of the sport. Their famed rivalry in the 70s and 80s helped increase the sports’ reach among the masses. They proved the prowess of women’s tennis and strengthened the foundation laid by Billie Jean King when she established the WTA.

Navratilova and Evert, owing to their drastically different playing styles, were involved in some really intense matches. However, the on-court bitterness never seeped into their off-court relationship.

The banter between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova

As both 18-time Grand Slam champions were the best in their era, they often met each other in the last rounds of the tournaments. Therefore, people were not ready to accept that two individuals who deprive each other of well-deserved trophies had such a harmonious relation. And when pressed to answer the same, Evert slipped a little grievance in an 1986 interview. She said, “The only thing about her that’s ever really bugged me” is Navratilova’s penchant for “telling the press how great she is. Instead of letting the record speak for itself.”

“But there’s not so much of that stuff anymore, so she must be more secure now,” she added. Further, Martina also had some things to point out about Evert.

Read more: ‘Stripped of Everything’ – Chris Evert Once Narrated How Martina Navratilova Never Left Her Side Despite Their Intense Rivalry

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The former World No.1 wished Evert could be more forthcoming in distributing praise to other tennis players. As she said, “It was only a couple of years ago in Dallas that I ever beat Chris in a match. And she agreed that I played well to beat her. Rather than her just not playing very well.”

Evert and Navratilova’s rivalry

Navratilova and Evert both have some outstanding records. They both are the only WTA veterans with 100 match wins in a Grand Slam. However, it is a fact unknown to none that if they played in different periods, they would have had much more achievement to flaunt. They have clashed 80 times in their career, out of which the Czech American has a lead of 43-37.

Watch this story: Martina Navratilova scoffs at Roger Federer’s Laver Cup for their outrageous prices

Though initially, Navratilova’s skills were of no match to Evert’s, as the American claimed victory in 16 out of the first 20 encounters. Later, the tables turned as the Czech-American star completely dominated Evert and ended up with a superior h2h record.