Chris Evert

Lore & Background

Evert was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Colette and Jimmy Evert, and raised in a committed Catholic household. Her father was a professional tennis coach, and tennis was a way of life in his family. Chris and her sister Jeanne became professional tennis players. Evert began taking tennis lessons from her father when she was five years old. By 1969, she had become the No. 1 ranked under-14 girl in the United States. She played her first senior tournament that year, reaching the semifinals in her hometown. In 1970, Evert won the national 16-and-under championship and defeated world No. 1 Margaret Court in a semifinal, leading to her selection for the U.S. Wightman Cup team as the youngest player ever in the competition.

Evert made her Grand Slam debut at age 16 at the 1971 US Open. She saved six match points in the second round against Mary-Ann Eisel and reached the semifinals, where she lost to Billie Jean King. In 1973, she was runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon. A year later she won both events during a then-record 55-consecutive-match winning streak. For the next five years, Evert was the world's No. 1 player. She won her second French Open in 1975 and the first of four straight US Open titles. The official WTA computer ranking system was instituted in November 1975, with Evert being the first No. 1. She regained the top ranking in November 1985 at age 30 years and 11 months, making her the oldest woman to reach WTA number one at that time.

Evert's calm, steely demeanor on court earned her the nickname 'Ice Maiden.' She won at least one Grand Slam singles title a year for 13 consecutive years, from 1974 through 1986. She holds the record of most consecutive years (13) of winning at least one major title, and contested an all-time record 34 major women's singles finals. Her career winning percentage in singles matches of 89.97% is the second highest in the Open Era. On clay courts, her winning percentage of 94.55% remains a WTA Tour record. She also won three major doubles titles, two partnering with Navratilova and one with Olga Morozova. Evert served as president of the Women's Tennis Association for eleven years, was awarded the Philippe Chatrier award, and inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Reader's Guide

Chris Evert's significance lies in her sustained excellence and dominance during a golden era of women's tennis. She was ranked world No. 1 for 260 weeks, finished year-end No. 1 seven times, and won 18 major singles titles, including a record seven French Opens and a joint-record six US Opens. Her career winning percentage of 89.97% is the second highest in the Open Era, and her clay-court winning percentage of 94.55% remains a WTA record. Evert reached the semifinals or better in 52 of the 56 majors she played, including 34 consecutive majors from the 1971 US Open through the 1983 French Open. She never lost in the first or second round of a major. Her rivalry with Martina Navratilova defined women's tennis for a decade. Evert also served as WTA president for eleven years and later became a coach and ESPN analyst. Her legacy includes holding the French Open singles title record for female players and being the first woman to be the sole recipient of Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year award.

Did You Know?

• Evert won 125 consecutive matches on clay from August 1973 to May 1979, a record that still stands among both men and women.
• She saved six match points in the second round of her Grand Slam debut at the 1971 US Open against Mary-Ann Eisel.
• Evert was the first woman to be the sole recipient of Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year award, in 1976.
• She regained the world No. 1 ranking in November 1985 at age 30 years and 11 months, the oldest woman to do so at that time.