Chris Evert once reflected on the early days of her career, sharing how it felt to witness women gaining more rights, especially in the world of tennis. She admitted that the shift was overwhelming at times, but also incredibly exciting.
Evert was America’s favorite tennis teen, radiating that classic girl-next-door charm. She burst onto the scene at just 16, reaching the semifinals of the 1971 US Open as an amateur. Two years later, she turned pro, and it didn’t take long for her to establish herself as one of the greatest players to ever pick up a racket.
Interestingly, the year the 18-time Grand Slam champion turned pro was also a landmark moment in women’s tennis as the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) was founded that same year. The driving force behind it was the legendary Billie Jean King, along with eight other trailblazing women. They were all united by a bold vision to fight for equal rights and opportunities for female tennis players.
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Talking about how she felt during that time, Chris Evert told TNT Sports in a 2023 interview:
"It was a pivotal and interesting time for women’s tennis. The WTA was soon to be founded. There was a lot of excitement in the air for women. Players were talking about equal opportunities and equal prize money. I was just listening to Billie Jean King and the other women and trying to soak it all up. I was a bit overwhelmed because I was so young. I was still going to a Catholic high school, and I was living with my parents. They made the decisions about my tennis career, and I didn't really have any say."
"I trusted what was going on with the women's movement, but I was overwhelmed. I grew up in an era where women were homemakers and moms, and men were the breadwinners. Few women had jobs in those days. It was a new and progressive concept to me, but I had respect for Billie Jean and the Original Nine and trusted they were making the right decisions," she added.
Evert’s mother, Colette, was a homemaker, while her father, Jimmy, was the one who introduced her and her siblings to tennis.
Chris Evert made history by becoming 1st woman to win SI Sportsperson of the Year award alone
Chris Evert was a true history-maker, becoming the first woman to win the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Award on her own in 1976. Before her, Billie Jean King had received the honor in 1972, but she shared it with college basketball coach John Wooden.
In 1976, Evert achieved a career milestone by winning both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year for the first and only time. She also claimed 10 other singles titles, including victories in Eastbourne, Washington, D.C., and the Colgate Series Championship. On top of that, she secured a major doubles title at Wimbledon alongside Martina Navratilova.
She also became the first tennis player, male or female, to surpass $1 million in career prize money and capped off her incredible season as the World No. 1.
