Chris Evert is one of the best tennis players of all time. She excelled not only in terms of skills but also in playing with the minds of her opponents during her career years. Unlike her biggest rival, Martina Navratilova, Evert didn’t believe in showing emotion on the court.
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Rather, she argues that keeping a constant face and not letting the opponent sense the flow of emotion pressured them to the extent of making terrible mistakes. However, the understanding didn’t come to her naturally. Here’s what Evert has to say about the same.
Chris Evert about maintaining a straight face
Letting one’s emotions take control has never received a green flag in tennis. For this gentleman’s game, a person who maintains decorum even in the roughest times is considered the greatest. Though anger is a part of every human and in some way completes a person.
Therefore, getting rid of it is difficult. As Evert said in a 2010 interview, “Most players — even those known for their icy demeanors, like Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer — were emotional on the court as juniors. I was no different. I threw and broke my share of rackets.”
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NEWPORT, RI – JULY 22: Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Evert waves to applause as she arrives at the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 22, 2017 in Newport, Rhode Island. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images for the International Tennis Hall of Fame)
Thereafter, she confessed, “But my dad taught me something that became instrumental to my success. How to bottle my emotions during a match and never give my opponents an indication of how I was feeling.”
“Even if I was losing or felt exhausted, I shouldn’t show it. Playing with a poker face would frustrate my opponents into making mistakes.” She added. The 18 times Grand Slam champion was a solid baseliner and used her agility and consistency to outdo and out-rally her opponents.
What is Evert up to these days?
The seven times French Open champion after retiring from the sport partnered with ESPN to put her knowledge of the game to work. She joined the channel in 2011 and still is a part of its analytical team. She covers all four Grand Slams and will be a part of the upcoming US Open as well.
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Further apart from that, she runs Chris Evert Charities, which helps underprivileged children and works toward eliminating drug abuse and child neglect. Also, she actively takes part in fundraisers for betterment of the society.
Written by
Edited by
Deepakshi Chaudhary