Who is Chris Evert? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Christine Marie Evert, Chris Evert Lloyd

Age: 69 Years, 69 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Andy Mill, Greg Norman, John Lloyd

father: Jimmy Evert

mother: Colette Thompson

siblings: Clare Evert, Drew Evert, Jeanne Evert, John Evert

children: Alexander James, Colton Jack, Nicholas Joseph

Born Country: United States

Tennis Players American Women

Height: 5'6" (168 cm), 5'6" Females

Notable Alumni: St. Thomas Aquinas High School

U.S. State: Florida

City: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

More Facts

education: St. Thomas Aquinas High School

awards: 1981 - BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year
1976 - Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
1980; 1977; 1975 - Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year
1990 - Glamour Woman of the Year Award

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Childhood & Early Life

Chris Evert was born on 21 December 1954, in Boca Raton, Florida, to Jimmy Evert, and Colette Thompson. Her father was a professional tennis coach and Christ Evert began taking tennis lessons from her father at the age of five.

In 1973, she graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale and later attended the Auburn University in Alabama with a full athletic scholarship for tennis.

As a child, constant practice helped Chris Evert become the No. 1 junior player in the ‘Under 14’ age group. She also won the national championship (Girls – Under 16) for tennis in 1970.

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Career

When Evert was 15 years she was invited to play an eight player clay court tournament where she defeated Margaret Court - a world No. 1 and Grand Slam winner in the semi-finals. This led to Chris Evert being selected as the youngest ever player in the US Wightman team.

Chris Evert made her Grand Slam debut in 1971 following an invitation to play at the U.S. Open where she played against several seasoned professional players and reached the semi-finals.

In 1973, Chris Evert finished as runner up in the French Open and Wimbledon tournaments.

In 1974, she went through a “winning streak” of 55 consecutive matches during which she won the French Open and Wimbledon tournaments along with 16 other tournaments. Chris Evert also reached the finals of her maiden Australian Open tournament and semi-finals of the US Open. She was chosen to be ranked No. 1 by tennis experts. This ranking remained up to 1979.

In 1975, Chris Evert won the French Open and US Open tournament. The WTA rankings were introduced this year and she was the first woman tennis player to be ranked No.1.

In 1976, Chris Evert won the US Open and Wimbledon; the only time in her career she won both the tournaments in same year. During the two years that followed Chris Evert won 18 of 25 tournaments played, and won the US Open tournaments in both years.

Chris Evert dominated the clay court matches and starting from 1973 she won 125 consecutive matches on clay losing only eight sets in the period. This winning streak was broken in 1979 semi-final of Italian Open when she lost to Tracy Austin. Her ranking dropped to No. 2 that year.

Chris Evert regained her No.1 ranking between 1980-1981 with victories in the French Open (1980), US Open (1980) and Wimbledon (1981).

In 1982, she won her first Australian Open and thus completed her career Grand slam. But, by this time her dominance in women’s tennis was being seriously challenged by Martina Navratilova it gave birth to a great rivalry between the two of them.

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Over a period of time Martina became the No.1 player and Chris Evert’s performance dipped. But, Evert still managed to win the Australian Open in 1984 and the French Open in 1985 and 1986.

In 1989, Chris Evert retired from professional tennis. Presently, Chris Evert operates a tennis academy in Florida along with coaching the high school team at Saint Andrew’s high school. She also contributes to the magazine “Tennis” where she is a publisher as well.

Beginning 2011, she has been associated with ESPN as a tennis commentator.

Awards and Achievements:

Between 1974 and 1986, Christ Evert won at least one major tournament every year.

In 1976, Chris Evert was awarded “Sportswoman of the Year” by the ‘Sports Illustrated’ magazine.

In 1985, the Women’s Sports Foundation voted her as “Greatest Woman Athlete of the Last 25 Years”.

In 1995, Chris Evert was unanimously selected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Chris Evert had to her credit 7 French Open singles for 27 years until it was broken by Rafael Nadal in 2013. She is still the only woman player who has achieved this. Again in 2013 she was awarded a special merit from the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

She has the maximum number of clay court Grand Slam titles till date i.e. 10.

Chris Evert has to her credit 18 Grand Slam single titles and 3 doubles championships. On the whole, she has won 157 single titles and 29 doubles tournaments.

She was ranked number one in the world from 1974 to 1978 and in 1980 and 1981.

Personal Life & Legacy:

In the 1970s Chris had a relationship with tennis player Jimmy Connors. The couple even played mixed doubles occasionally. They were engaged but the wedding was called off

She married tennis player John Lloyd in 1979. However, they divorced in 1987. During this marriage Chris Evert had an affair with British singer Adam Faith.

In 1988, Chris Evert married Olympic skier Andy Mill and had three sons – Alexander James (1991), Nicholas Joseph (1994) and Colton Jack (1996). In 2006, she filed for a divorce that was granted later that year.

She married Australian golfer Norman in 2008. However after a short period of 15 months into marriage they announced that they were getting a divorce which was finalized in 2009.

Chris Evert Biography