About Chris Evert
Christine Marie Evert, known by Chris Evert Lloyd from 1979 to 1987, was born on December 21, 1954 and an American former world No. 1 tennis player with an estimated net worth of $18 million. Chris Evert won 154 WTA singles titles and 189 titles in singles and women’s doubles combined, both of which are the second best records in tennis history. Evert is fourth in Grand Slam singles titles, with 18. Chris stands alone, though, with one record that will probably never be broken: from August of 1973 to May of 1979, she compiled an incredible streak of 125 consecutive match wins on clay.
Clay was Evert’s best surface because her game was built around consistent, accurate groundstrokes, excellent footwork and endurance, and the extraordinary determination it can take to grind out long matches on the slowest, most grueling of surfaces. With most of her top competitors having bigger serves and better net games, slower courts gave Chris more time to defend and counterpunch. Evert’s two-handed backhand became one of the most influential strokes in the evolution of tennis; her success with the two-hander was unprecedented in women’s tennis, and it inspired young players, especially girls, all over the world to try the two-hander. In part because her two-handed backhand demanded it, Chris provided the ultimate model of precise footwork, as she would take many more small adjusting steps to prepare for each shot than fans were used to seeing. She also set an excellent example for behavior, never losing her composure to negative emotions.
Evert’s greatest rival was Martina Navratilova, whom she played 80 times, 60 of them in finals, over 16 years in which they also became close friends. Martina was, in many ways, the opposite of Chris, with a game built around an excellent serve and constant pressure at the net, where she tested Chris’s groundstrokes by making her hit passing shots through the tiny windows that Martina’s net coverage left open. On fast courts, Martina had the edge; on slow courts, where Chris had time to set up her passing shots, Chris had the better record. Their head-to-head ended up 43-37 in Martina’s favor.
Chris burst into the tennis world as a teenage phenom, reaching the semifinals of the US Open at age 16. Unlike many phenoms who burned through their best tennis all too quickly, though, Chris would sustain her excellence throughout a career of 18 years, 12 of which she finished as either the #1 or #2 player in the world.
Evert played Fed Cup for the US team for 9 years between 1977 and 1989. She also played for the US Olympic team in 1988.
Basic Info:
- Date of Birth: December 21, 1954
- Nation: USA
- Height: 5′ 6″
- Weight: 125 lbs
- First Singles Title: 1971
- Last Singles Title: 1988
- Played: Right-handed, with two-handed backhand.
Grand Slam Singles Titles:
- Australia in 1982 and 1984.
- France in 1974, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, and 1986.
- Wimbledon in 1974, 1976, and 1981.
- US in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, and 1982.
Grand Slam Doubles Titles:
- France in 1974 and 1975.
Evert reached 34 Grand Slam singles finals, more than any other player in the history of professional tennis. As of 2023, Chris Evert’s net worth is estimated to be $18 million. Evert was later a coach and is now an analyst for ESPN, as well as a line of tennis apparel.
