Chris Evert

Chris Evert is a former world No. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships and three doubles titles. Ranked world No. 1 for 260 weeks, she was the year-ending World No. 1 singles player seven times (1974–78, 1980, 1981). Overall, Evert won 157 singles championships and 32 doubles titles. Alongside Martina Navratilova, her greatest rival, Evert dominated women's tennis for much of the 1970s and 1980s.

Evert reached 34 Grand Slam singles finals, more than any other player in the history of professional tennis. She holds the record of most consecutive years to win at least one Grand Slam title with 13. In singles, she reached the semifinals or better 52 of the 56 Grand Slams she played. Evert never lost in the first or second round of a Grand Slam singles tournament and only lost in the third round two times. She won a record seven championships at the French Open and a co-record six championships at the US Open (tied with Serena Williams).

Evert's career winning percentage in singles matches of 89.96% (1309–146) is the second highest in the history of Open Era tennis, for men or women. On clay courts, her career winning percentage in singles matches of 94.55% (382–22) remains a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) record. She is regarded by some to be the greatest female tennis player of all time.

Evert served as president of the WTA from 1975–76 and 1983–91. She was awarded the Philippe Chatrier award and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995. She is a Tennis magazine contributor and an analyst for ESPN and remains one of the most recognizable female athletes of her time.

Since retiring in 1989, the Hall of Fame tennis player has become active in more than a dozen organizations including the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, Save the Children, The American AIDS Association and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She founded Chris Evert Charities, Inc., which has raised over eight million dollars to combat substance abuse and to assist neglected, drug-exposed and abused children.Evert is also a partner and coach at Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida, which she opened in 1996. The Center offers junior and adult programs for all skill levels from beginning to professional. Active in all aspects of the junior tennis program, Evert founded the academy alongside her brother John to give something back to junior tennis and to ensure that the tradition started by her father will continue in South Florida.

Despite undergoing a preventative hysterectomy, Evert was treated for ovarian cancer in 2022; she announced a recurrence a year later.