Chris Evert

Christine Marie Evert ( born December 21, 1954 in Fort Lauderdale, 1979-1987 Evert - Lloyd) is a former American tennis player and world number one. It is one of the most successful players of all time. As one of the first players ever, she played the two-handed backhand. Unforgettable are the Duels of the baseline player and Clay specialist with Martina Navratilova, the other major player in the 1970s and 1980s. Evert said her resignation in 1989.

  • 3.1 victories at Grand Slam tournaments (Single)
  • 3.2 Wins (18 )

Life

The beginnings

At the age of five years, Chris Evert was playing tennis in touch. Father Jimmy Evert, even professional tennis player and winner of the 1947 Canadian Championships, promoted his daughter. Too weak to hold the racquet on the backhand side, and to strike a blow, they developed their own accord the first player ever a two-handed backhand. This would later become a feared and often copied trademarks.

1969 Evert, who graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in her hometown of Fort Lauderdale, was conducted in the U.S. as the best U14 player. For the student made ​​headlines a year later, when the 15 -year-old in a small Sandplatzurnier in North Carolina until the French world class player Francoise Durr and then the former world number one and tennis legend Margaret Smith Court 7-6, 7-6 defeated. Court had won the previous year as only the second player ever Grand Slam.

The following year, Evert continued its ascent. As winner of the U.S. Junior Championships, she followed an invitation from the U.S. Association and gave her Grand Slam debut at the U.S. Open in Forrest Hills. The 16 - year-old student hit in a row Edda Budding, Mary Ann Eisel, the seeded Frenchwoman Francoise Durr 5 and her compatriot Lesley Hunt and failed in the semifinals to Billie Jean King. Evert was 16 years, 8 months and 20 days to become the youngest player who was able to move into the semifinals of the U.S. Open. She revealed those strengths that developed in the following years to their trademark. Everts game was characterized by a hitherto unheard of hardness and precision in the baseline shock. She also impressed with nerves of steel, which was quickly given the nickname Ice Maiden gave her in the press. Unusually often, she managed previously forgotten games to still turn. Against the U.S. American Eisel Evert managed to ward six match points in the second set with the score at 5:6 and 0:40, before she won the last round 6-1.

Despite the early success continued father Jimmy Evert on a careful development of his daughter. 1972 renounced Evert at the Australian Open and the French Open, but reached at Wimbledon and Forrest Hills the semifinals.

1973 Everts continued ascent. The 18 -year-old reached the final in Paris and Wimbledon, moved for the third time in a row the semifinals of the U.S. Open and waived again for the Australian Open at the end of the year.

1974-1978: Years of dominance

The following year brought her the final breakthrough and marked the beginning of a period sovereign dominance. Apart from a brief interruption in 1976, she remained until 1978 at the top of world rankings.

As a 19 -year-old, she won the 1974 French Open and Wimbledon, reached the final in Australia, was at the U.S. Open again in the semifinals and took over the world ranking leadership. By winning their first major title in Paris also began a unique series of consecutive Grand Slam title wins, which was to last until 1986 and in which the American won a total of 18 major titles. In 1973 began another record series. Despite their successes on all court surfaces clay court play remained clear Everts largest domain. Between 1973 and 1979, the US-American was 125 times victorious on sand in a row - a record unmatched to this day.

1975 Evert won again two majors. She repeated her last year's victory at the French Open, was in the Wimbledon semi-finals and won her first U.S. Open title against Evonne Goolagong, they defended three times in a row. With brief interruptions, Evert was during the next five years at the top of the tennis world rankings.

1976 Evert won with a narrow three-set success again the Wimbledon crown. Respondent was again the Australian Evonne Goolagong, which developed until the mid- 1970s, more and more stubborn rival to the U.S. citizen. Evert won the first round with 6-3, lost the second with 4:6 and was in the third round 0-2 down before they could turn the match and eventually triumphed 8-6. The two met each other a total of 33 times. Evert remained with a total of 21 victories, the clear dominant player in world tennis.

The two following years were less successful for Evert. After the respective waiver of the Australian Open and Paris, the American was only in the semifinals of Wimbledon in 1977 and defended her U.S. Open title. In the years 1976-1978 Evert renounced the French Open, how the other top players at the World Team Tennis event, the Billy Jean King had organized participate. Also in 1978 Evert played only two Masters, was a finalist at Church Road and again won the victory in the Open American Championships.

1978: beginning of the duel between Chris Evert Martina Navratilova against

In the late 1970s, the era of Everts sovereign rule ended. With Martina Navratilova entered a new rival in the spotlight, which should end Everts dominance and proceed to a second period in the career of an American. The more athletic bitterly discharged duel between the two players influenced the next decade in women's tennis, drove the sport of tennis to a new level of professionalization and is considered one of the most impressive rivalries in sports history. A total of 80 meeting Evert won 37 times, Navratilova won 43 encounters. Both players finished their careers with 18 Grand Slam singles titles.

1973, when Evert and Navratilova first met each other, Evert had the Czecho Slovakian safely controlled. At the end of 1977 stood at American in 26 matches 22 wins to beech, while Navratilova had only four can win. This changed in 1978, when Navratilova won the Wimbledon warm-up tournament in Eastbourne and then the title at Wimbledon, which she defended the following year.

Also Evert won in 1978 and 1979 each have a Grand Slam title. While they defeated the U.S. Open semifinals in each Navratilova, this triumphed in the finals of both Wimbledon tournaments.

1986: Last victory in Paris and return to the top of world rankings

Your last two Grand Slam victories won Evert on the red clay of the French Open, where she her Dauerrivalin Navratilova faced again. 1985, when she won in a tight three- set match 6-3, 6-7 and 7-5, they climbed a fifth and final time the top of the world rankings. Also in 1986 was her opponent Navratilova and Evert recorded with 2:6, 6:3, 6:3 her last Grand Slam triumph. In 1988, she was able, now 34 years old, again to the finals of one of the most important tournaments. In the final of the Australian Open, she defeated the almost 19 -year-old future Grand Slam winner Steffi Graf in straight sets. Evert was also nominated for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, she was disqualified in the second round against the Italian Raffaella Reggi.

WTA Presidency and End of career

Evert ended her career in 1989.

How ever in the years 1975 and 1976 they had in 1983 assumed the presidency of the Women's Tennis Association ( WTA ) again, which she held until 1991.

1995 Evert was inducted into the Hall of Fame of tennis.

Personal

Early 1970s was Evert romantically involved with the world number one Jimmy Connors. In 1979 she married the British tennis player John Lloyd. After the divorce in 1987 she married in 1988 the former alpine skier Andy Mill, with whom she has three children. By mutual agreement they reached on 20 October 2006 after 18 years of marriage for divorce. On June 28, 2008, they married in the Bahamas Australian golf star Greg Norman. However, already in early October, 2009, the couple's separation known.

Achievements

Chris Evert was the first tennis player, who scored 1,000 victories in singles. With a career record of a total of 1,309 victories, 146 defeats and a success rate of 90 % Evert is still the most successful single player. Evert was a total of five times at the top of the tennis world rankings. She won 18 Grand Slam singles victories in singles and was only by Margaret Smith Court ( 24), Steffi Graf ( 22) and Helen Wills Moody ( 19) exceeded. With a total of seven wins in the women's singles Evert is still the record holder at the French Open. Your 157 individual title at the WTA and Grand Slam tournaments mean second place behind Martina Navratilova, who was able to record 167 Tournament victories for itself.

In 1974 Evert 56 games in a row and won 1974-1986 every year at least one Grand Slam title. Between 1973 and 1979, she remained on sand 125 times in unbroken succession victorious ( record ), reaching a total of 52 of 56 played Grand Slam tournaments in which they participated, at least the semi-final ( record ). Evert won four times the WTA Tour Championships and eight-time Fed Cup champion with the team of the United States.

Victories at Grand Slam tournaments (Single)

  • Australian Open ( 2): 1982, 1984
  • French Open (7): 1974, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986
  • Wimbledon (3): 1974, 1976, 1981
  • U.S. Open (6): 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982

Wins ( 18)

Records

  • Win rate 90.0 % ( 1,309 victories, 146 defeats / Second: Steffi Graf, 88.9 %)
  • Win at least one Grand Slam title per year over 13 years ( 1974-1986 )
  • 52 of 56 Grand Slam tournaments played in the semifinals
  • 125 victories on clay in a row ( 1973-1979 )
  • Seven-time winner of the French Open women's singles
  • At the U.S. Open she reached 16 times in a row at least the semi-finals ( 1971-1986 )

Honors

St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 1988 Summer Olympics John Lloyd (tennis) List of WTA number 1 ranked players Monica Seles List of Grand Slam women's singles champions Associated Press Athlete of the Year Tracy Austin Kim Clijsters Lindsay Davenport Dinara Safina Caroline Wozniacki Integrated Authority File
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