From being a ball girl to Chris Evert, and then playing a pivotal role in dampening the pride of the ‘Queen of Clay’, Tracy Austin is a name that is still widely celebrated in women’s tennis. In her book, Austin recalled her rivalry with Evert, saying, “Chris Evert never, ever, gave you anything. Her shot selection was very basic–either to hit it crosscourt or down the line, deep or with sharp angles. High-percentage, well-thought-out shots. I obviously was the same as Chris, having fewer choices.” The year 1979 was not only marked as a memorable day for these players, but it has now become a historic day in the sport. In that year, Austin snapped Evert’s staggering streak on the clay courts. Recently, the 2-time Grand Slam champion revealed a few things on what exactly gave her an edge in that epic duel against the 18-time Grand Slam winner and how those early matchups helped her change her mindset.

Chris Evert’s unparalleled dominance on clay courts was epitomized by her incredible 125-match winning streak on this surface lasting from 1973 to 1979. The 16-year-old Tracy Austin broke her incredible record at the 1979 Italian Open by defeating her by 6-4,2-6,7-6(4). Evert was always a difficult player to play on clay, and her game style was perfect for this surface. According to Austin, “I don’t remember what happened on the last point. I was just swinging my racquet around in the air, and I just wanted to break her streak.“ After defeating Evert, Austin went on to beat Sylvia Hanika to lift the trophy. It was her first European clay title in her career, and four months later, she became the youngest woman to win the US Open (at that time), defeating both Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert back to back on her road to her maiden Grand Slam title triumph.

What was the secret to her success in Rome, and how did it help her to win the title in New York a few months later? In a recent interview with Tennis Channel, Tracy Austin said, “I knew Chrissy (Chris Evert) was awesome on clay. We all knew it was going to be very difficult to beat Chrissy, but I didn’t go into the match psyched out that she hadn’t lost in six years and she had this 125-match winning streak. So I don’t..I’m guessing that it wasn’t paramount in my mind. I had beaten Chrissy for the first time when I was 15. So this was 16, I’d beaten her a couple of times, I believe, before I beat her at Madison Square Garden.”

The 62-year-old International Tennis Hall of Famer further went on to reveal, “I believe for the first time when things flipped when I finally felt like she’s not Chris Evert, you know. I was a ball girl for her. She’s up on this pedestal. I felt like a rival. I felt like we’re even. I think that was really key for me because the mindset, as we know, leads everything. If you go in feeling confident. So I think I was feeling, and the other thing was that we had played at the time Fed Cup, the week before, and so I had practiced with Chrissy a week in Madrid. We won the title as the American team on clay, and we had played plenty of points on clay, plenty of games on clay for a whole week before I came to Rome.”

So, according to Austin, these things played a crucial role in her success against Chris Evert at that time. “I felt like pretty confident going in. Not saying I’m going to win, but I certainly wasn’t thinking ‘Okay, I’m going to lose.” She believes this win at the Italian Open played a crucial role in handing her a similar success at the US Open that year. Chris Evert won the US Open four successive years from 1975 to 1978, and she was a clear favorite to win it in 1979 as well. But Austin defeated her by 6-4,6-3. They ended their rivalry in 1982, with Austin leading the H2H record by 9-8!

In 2020, while speaking of her winning streak on clay coming to an end at the hands of her compatriot, Chris Evert said, “I’ll never forget that 1979 Rome match. After winning 125 matches on clay, my best surface, it was only inevitable that I was going to lose at some point. It was a tough loss for me, but looking back, I’m glad it was against Tracy Austin, who was a great competitor.“

Later on, in her autobiography, ‘Beyond Center Court: My Story,‘ – Austin revealed how she managed to earn love and respect from Evert with her impressive performances against her. Once, after a match, Evert even went on to meet Austin’s father to say that his daughter played “very well.” From fierce rivals, Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, and Martina Navratilova have become close friends. They’re often seen cherishing their old days together. But with the French Open knocking at the door, who are the picks for Evert and Austin in this season?

Chris Evert looks a bit concerned with the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, ahead of the French Open

Iga Swiatek has won five Grand Slam titles in her career, and four out of them have been on clay. On the other hand, Chris Evert ended her career with seven French Open titles. Previously, while hailing Swiatek’s brilliance, Evert claimed, “I’m worried about it every day. When I put my head under the pillow I’m worried about Iga. I think Iga will end up on double digits. I don’t just think she will beat my record here. I think it’s double digits.” But Swiatek is yet to win a title this season. She was recently defeated in the R32 of the Italian Open in straight sets by Danielle Collins.

So, considering her recent form, Evert stated, “I don’t know how you can pick anybody between [Aryna] Sabalenka, Iga, and Coco, and with Madison Keys, really to me would be my fourth pick. I just don’t know how Iga is going to react. That, to me, is the unknown. We know what she is capable of, and with her past records, she’s brilliant at the French Open, but I just don’t know if she can find her A game, because she’s going to need it. It’s kind of like we’re seeing her C game right now.”

On the other hand, Tracy Austin also showcased her concerns by highlighting, “For Iga [Swiatek], that one-month suspension at the end of last year, her grandfather passed away a week or so ago, she looked all out of sorts against Coco [Gauff]. She has not been to a final since Roland Garros last year.”

Do you think Iga Swiatek can prove all her doubters wrong and make a strong comeback at the Roland Garros this year? Share your thoughts in the comment box.