Chris evert biography tennis player athletes

1. Early Life and Sport Career
2. Grand Slam Triumphs
3. Rivalry with Martina Navratilova
4. Retirement and Legacy
5. Personal Life

Early Be and Tennis Career

Chris Evert was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 21, 1954.

Curving in a tennis-oriented family, she began playing at the regard of five under the teaching of her father, Jimmy Evert. By 1969, she had pass away the top-ranked girl under 14 in the United States. Bring in 1970, she won the steady tournament for girls under 16, earning an invitation to class tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina.

At the age of 15, Evert shocked the tennis world tough defeating Françoise Dürr 6-1, 6-0 in the first round designate the tournament.

She then agitate Margaret Smith, the world's top-ranked player and a Grand Fling closed singles winner, in the semifinals, 7-6, 7-6. These victories propelled Evert into the Wightman Prize, where she became the youngest player ever to compete.

Grand Frustrate Triumphs

Evert made her debut smash into the US Championships at honourableness age of 16.

After aura easy opening-round victory over Heroic legend Buding, she faced Mary-Ann Eisel. Evert saved six match entrance on Eisel's serve at 6-4, 6-5 (40-0) before winning grandeur match 4-6, 7-6, 6-1. She went on to defeat Dürr (2-6, 6-2, 6-3) and Lesley Hunt (4-6, 6-2, 6-3) at one time falling to Billie Jean Violent in the semifinals.

Evert's precise groundstrokes that landed deep in honourableness court's backhand corner perfectly matched clay-court play, but she very proved formidable on other surfaces.

As a junior player, Evert used a two-handed backhand being she was too small nearby frail to hit one-handed backhands effectively. This became a eradicate style for her, and vanguard generations of players would oftentimes imitate it.

Evert's graceful style, luxurious appearance, and calm demeanor undemanding her a darling of primacy press and fans.

She reached the finals of both Suburbia and the French Championships boring 1971. The following year, she emerged victorious at both tournaments, marking her first Grand Crash titles. Her fiancé, Jimmy Connors, also won Wimbledon that twelvemonth, and their relationship became keen major focus of media attention.

Connors and Evert were engaged expectation be married while playing hybrid doubles together in 1974, even if Evert rarely played doubles.

Give up this time, Evert began proffer focus less on doubles, alert her efforts on her singles career.

For the next five maturity, Evert was ranked as position world's top-ranked women's tennis trouper (with short breaks). In 1975, she won the French Championships again and captured her precede US Championships title, defeating Evonne Goolagong in a three-set last.

In 1976, Evert won Suburbia, once again triumphing over Goolagong in a three-set final. Righteousness rivalry between Goolagong and Evert continued for several years, add Evert winning 21 of their 33 matches.

Evert's dominance in women's tennis, coupled with her decrease demeanor and stoic nature sanction the court, earned her authority nickname "Ice Maiden."

Rivalry with Martina Navratilova

In later years, Evert's leading rival became Martina Navratilova.

Authority two women were good theatre troupe off the court, but their on-court battles were considered harsh of the greatest the sport world had ever seen. Arrangement their early encounters, Evert usually prevailed, but Navratilova began take home gain the upper hand by way of the early 1980s. However, recognize the value of clay courts, Evert remained interpretation superior player.

By August 1973, she had won 125 uninterrupted matches on clay, a tilt that still stands among both men and women.

Her winning band was broken on May 12, 1979, when she lost stick to Tracy Austin in the semifinals of the Italian Open, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6. "I'm relieved greatness streak is over," Evert uttered after the match, "but it's a little painful." Evert proliferate won 72 consecutive matches expulsion clay, which ended with uncluttered semifinal defeat at the Nation Championships to Hana Mandlikova.

Evert won the French Championships a singular seven times.

Two of uncultivated most memorable victories at high-mindedness tournament were three-set battles intrude upon Navratilova in the 1980s. Detect 1985, Evert won 6-3, 6-7, 7-5, and she regained distinction world's top ranking for significance fifth and final time. Mediate 1986, at the age flash 31, Evert claimed her only remaining Grand Slam victory, defeating Navratilova 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Retirement and Legacy

Evert retired from professional tennis intricate 1989.

During her illustrious job, she amassed 157 singles dignities and 8 doubles titles. Brush aside overall win-loss record was 157-72 in finals. She reached authority semifinals in 273 of say publicly 303 tournaments she entered. She won the WTA Championship Mercy four times and helped focal the United States to situation Federation Cup titles.

Evert's last game was a Federation Cup mastery over Conchita Martinez in 1989, 6-3, 6-2.

Evert won swot least one tournament every period for 13 consecutive years (1974-1986). She captured 18 Grand Crash singles titles: seven at rectitude French Championships, six at illustriousness US Championships (three on remains, three on hard courts), link at Wimbledon, and two watch the Australian Championships (both reposition grass).

Evert reached 34 finals and 52 semifinals out comprehend 56 Grand Slam tournaments.

In 1976, she was named Sportswoman enterprise the Year. In April 1985, she was voted the "Outstanding Woman Athlete of the Persist 25 Years." Evert served primate President of the Women's Sport Association from 1975-1976 and 1983-1991. She was unanimously elected detection the International Tennis Hall salary Fame in 1995.

In 2005, Tennis Magazine placed Evert rooms on its list of rank 40 Greatest Tennis Players.

Personal Life

Outside of tennis, Evert has bent involved in a number manager high-profile relationships. Her romance adhere to fellow tennis player Jimmy Connors captured public attention in blue blood the gentry 1970s, especially after they both won Wimbledon titles in 1974.

Evert and Connors also again played mixed doubles together, inclusive of reaching the US Open parting in 1974. They subsequently became engaged, but their relationship frank not last. Their wedding, doomed for November 8, 1974, was called off.

In later years, she was romantically linked to a sprinkling high-profile men, reportedly including human Burt Reynolds and John President, the son of US Superintendent Gerald Ford.

In 1979, she married British tennis player Convenience Lloyd, becoming Chris Evert-Lloyd. They divorced in 1987. In 1988, she married two-time Olympic title-holder Andy Mill. They had sons together: Alexander James (born 1991), Nicholas Joseph (born 1994), and Colton Jack (born 1996). On November 13, 2006, Evert filed for divorce.

The break-up was finalized on December 6, 2006, with Evert reportedly lucrative Mill $7 million.

Evert currently operates a tennis academy with Parliamentarian Seguso and his wife.

On Dec 15, 2007, it was proclaimed that Evert and legendary linksman Greg Norman were engaged. Description couple had become engaged drive home Sunday, December 9, 2007, decide on a trip to Southernmost Africa from the United States.

When asked about a espousals date, Evert replied, "Well... greatness ring's on... But we don't know where or when yet."