Former tennis player Chris Evert has been open about her cancer in the past. Now she has come back
Tennis icon Chris Evert has been diagnosed with cancer again. The 68-year-old US-American announced this on Friday via ESPN and the platform X (formerly Twitter). “Although this is a diagnosis I never wanted to hear, I am once again glad that it was caught early,” wrote Evert: “The doctors found cancer cells in the same pelvic region. All the cells were removed and I started another round of chemotherapy.”
Evert, who won at least one Grand Slam tournament every year between 1974 and 1986 and can look back on a total of 18 major titles, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in January 2022. Evert’s younger sister, Jeanne Evert Dubin, died of the disease in February 2020 at the age of 62.
“I will be ready “
The US-American explained that she will not be able to travel to the Australian Open in Melbourne as an expert for ESPN in January. “But I will be ready for the rest of the Grand Slam season,” wrote Evert. She also appealed to her fans to go for check-ups in good time and to look out for illnesses that run in the family.
Evert was a dominant figure in women’s tennis in the 1970s, winning singles titles and reaching at least the semi-finals in 52 of the 56 Grand Slam tournaments in which she took part. Her rivalry with Martina Navratilova, which spanned from 1973 to 1988 and included 14 Grand Slam finals, left its mark on the sport.
