‘They Are All Negative Qualities’ – When Chris Evert Openly Accepted How Champions Like Billie Jean King and Monica Seles Developed Champion Mindsets

There have not been many players as great as Chris Evert. The American is among the best ever in women’s tennis. We all know about her calm and composed nature while handling tough situations on the court. There’s hardly anything negative to point out about her game, but the legend believes that champion players like her are always made up of negative qualities.

Back in 1992, Evert spoke about the qualities that make a champion athlete. However, to everyone’s surprise, she said it was all negative. Here’s what she said.

Do negative qualities make a champion?

Back in 1992, Evert was over her tennis playing days. The legendary tennis star gave up the game in 1989. While in an interview, she made a shocking claim. Evert confidently said that a champion athlete has all negative qualities. Here’s the part of the conversation from the vintage interview.

Reporter: “What are the qualities that make a champion?”

Evert: “They’re all negative qualities. At least they were for me. When I look at the players who have made it year after year, like Billie Jean, Monica, and Steffi [Graf], I see intensity. And again, that might come from a negative—from insecurity, from seeking attention. It might come from, I want to prove something.”

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When asked if it can come out of love, she replied, “Are you kidding? Love? Billie Jean said 10 or 15 years ago that she hated to lose more than she loved to win. That’s the truth. You hate to lose more than you love to win.”

Chris Evert on mental health

Tennis is a physically and mentally demanding game. While many players make it big at a very young age, they are mentally not prepared enough to face its negative consequences. Recently, we have seen a sharp rise in athletes coming forward and admitting the need for help regarding mental health.

With all the negatives that Evert mentioned above, there comes a lot of pressure. Recently, on the occasion of mental health day (10th October) Evert took to her Twitter account to discuss the most common mental health problem, anxiety. She appealed to her fans about coming out and sharing it if they are facing it.

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Evert made her debut at a very young age and has faced different challenges on and off the court. She has a first-person idea of how cruel life can be at times. Her appeal to the fans will definitely be helpful for people who need help.