Published 02/04/2023, 10:15 AM EST
Tennis has witnessed legendary rivalries, in both male and female categories. And unsurprisingly, many players have attributed their progress and achievements to their rivals; be it Rafael Nadal- Roger Federer or Bjorn Borg- John McEnroe. And so was the case with Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert’s rivalry.
Back in the day, Navratilova detailed the influence of her rivalry with her off-court friend and on-court rival, Chris Evert, on her tennis career. Moreover, out of 80 matches they played, Navratilova has an upper hand in their H2H record; winning 53.8% of the matches.
Martina Navratilova opens up about the celebrated rivalry with Evert
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Back in 2018, during the screening of the documentary, ‘Strokes of Genius’, the 59-time Grand Slam champion revealed the influence of her ‘special’ on-court rivalry with the ‘Ice Maiden’. Furthermore, she detailed, the moment when the she realized that the two tennis great shared a special on the court dynamic.
“Sometimes during the rivalry, we realize that this is special, and I don’t know when that happened for you, John, with Borg. But there’s a particular moment that comes and I don’t know if it’s not just quantity but the quality of course in the Drama and then go out, this is different. So it almost takes the pressure off playing people like that,” Navratilova said.
DIVE DEEPER
‘They Wanted to See Me Cry’- Chris Evert Once Openly Admitted How Martina Navratilova’s Arrival Boosted Her Fame
In her own words, Navratilova felt pressure-free while playing her rival. Consequently, drawing attention to the respect they had for each other, the Czech-American tennis player considered Evert to be one of the greats to have ever graced the court.
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SINGAPORE – OCTOBER 24: Legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova laugh as they pose for a photo about their long time rivarly at during day 4 of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global at Gardens by the Bay on October 24, 2018 in Singapore. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
She further added, “When I play Chris, it wasn’t like I need to or I have to win this match. ‘Cause it almost takes the pressure off because you might lose to the greatest player of all time”
Although the yesteryear tennis legend had a healthy on-court rivalry, that didn’t stop them from being each other pillar of support; time and again. And most recently, the Ice Maiden supported her dear rival, as Navratilova’s diagnosis was positive for a double whammy.
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WATCH THIS STORY: ‘Seems to Get Injured a Lot’ – Martina Navratilova Once Used Serena Williams’ Example to Talk About the ‘Fragmented’ Nature of Women’s Tennis.
The two have been an example of a perfect on and off-court balance. Don’t you think so? Do let us know your thoughts about their rivalry in the comments!