History of Chris Evert in Timeline

Chris Evert is a highly accomplished American former professional tennis player. She held the world No. 1 ranking for 260 weeks, ending the year as No. 1 five times (1975-1977, 1980, 1981). Evert won 157 singles titles, including 18 major championships. Her rivalry with Martina Navratilova defined women's tennis in the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, marking a period of dominance for both players.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

1947: Father's Canadian Championships Win

In 1947, Jimmy Evert, Chris Evert's father, won the men's singles title at the Canadian Championships. He later became her tennis coach.

December 21, 1954: Christine Marie Evert Born

On December 21, 1954, Christine Marie Evert was born. She later became a world-renowned professional tennis player.

Others born on this day/year

1954: Birth of Chris Evert

In 1954, Chris Evert was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Colette and Jimmy Evert.

Others born on this day/year

1969: Ranked No. 1 Under-14 and First Senior Tournament

In 1969, Chris Evert was ranked No. 1 in the United States for girls under 14. She also played her first senior tournament, reaching the semifinals in Fort Lauderdale.

1970: National Championship and Victory Over Margaret Court

In 1970, Chris Evert won the national 16-and-under championship and defeated world No. 1 Margaret Court in a clay-court tournament, leading to her selection for the U.S. Wightman Cup team.

September 1971: Grand Slam Debut and Semifinal Streak

In September 1971, Chris Evert made her Grand Slam debut at the US Open, initiating a streak of reaching at least the semi-finals in 34 consecutive Grand Slam singles events.

1971: US Open Semifinal

In 1971, Chris Evert reached the semifinals of the US Open, marking the beginning of a streak of 34 consecutive majors where she reached at least the semifinals.

1971: Grand Slam Debut at US Open

In 1971, at age 16, Chris Evert made her Grand Slam tournament debut at the US Open, reaching the semifinals after saving six match points in the second round against Mary-Ann Eisel. Her 46-match winning streak then ended with a loss to Billie Jean King in the semifinal.

August 1973: Beginning of Clay Court Winning Streak

In August 1973, Chris Evert began a remarkable streak of 125 consecutive matches won on clay courts, which stands as a benchmark among both men and women players.

1973: Graduation from St. Thomas Aquinas High School

In 1973, Chris Evert graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale.

1973: Runner-Up at French Open and Wimbledon

In 1973, Chris Evert was the runner-up at both the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships, marking significant achievements early in her career.

November 8, 1974: Wedding Called Off

On November 8, 1974, the planned wedding between Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors was called off. The two tennis stars had become engaged when she was 19, capturing public imagination after they both won the 1974 singles titles at Wimbledon.

1974: Start of Consecutive Grand Slam Title Winning Years

In 1974, Chris Evert began a streak of winning at least one Grand Slam singles title each year, which lasted for 13 consecutive years.

1974: World's Number One Player

In 1974, Chris Evert was ranked number one in the world at the end of the year by multiple tennis publications.

1974: Chris Evert racehorse wins U.S. Filly Triple Crown

In 1974, a racehorse named Chris Evert, after the tennis star, won the U.S. Filly Triple Crown. The horse was also voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Filly and was later inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

1975: President of the Women's Tennis Association

In 1975, Chris Evert began her first term as president of the Women's Tennis Association.

1975: French Open Victory Over Navratilova

In 1975, Chris Evert defeated Martina Navratilova 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the French Open final to defend her title.

1975: Non-participation in Australian Open

In 1975, Chris Evert did not participate in the Australian Open, starting a series of absences until 1980 and again in 1983 due to the tournament's decline in status.

1975: Year-End No. 1 Ranking and French Open Win

In 1975, Chris Evert secured her first year-end No. 1 ranking by the WTA and also won her second French Open title, defeating Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the final.

1975: Second French Open and First US Open Title

In 1975, Chris Evert won her second French Open title and the first of four consecutive US Open titles, defeating Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the US Open final. She also became the first No. 1 in the official WTA computer ranking system.

1976: Non-participation in French Open

In 1976, Chris Evert did not participate in the French Open, opting to play in King's World TeamTennis.

1976: Skipped the French Open

In 1976, Chris Evert skipped the French Open to play in King's World TeamTennis.

1976: Sports Illustrated Sportswoman of the Year

In 1976, Chris Evert was named Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportswoman of the Year, becoming the first female athlete to be the sole recipient of this award.

1976: Wimbledon and US Open Titles and Sports Illustrated Award

In 1976, Chris Evert won both Wimbledon and the US Open, defeating Evonne Goolagong Cawley at both events. She was also named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, the first woman to be the sole recipient of the honor.

1977: Non-participation in French Open

In 1977, Chris Evert did not participate in the French Open, opting to play in King's World TeamTennis.

1977: Year-End No. 1 Ranking

In 1977, Chris Evert finished the year ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles for the third consecutive year.

1977: US Open Win at Forest Hills and Wimbledon Semifinal Loss

In 1977, Chris Evert won the US Open played at Forest Hills on clay, but lost to eventual champion Virginia Wade in the Wimbledon Championships semifinal. She skipped the French Open to play in King's World TeamTennis.

1978: The "Tennis Bracelet" Origin

During a match at the 1978 US Open, Chris Evert's diamond line bracelet, a gift from Jimmy Connors, fell off her wrist. She referred to it as her "tennis bracelet", and the name has been used for diamond line bracelets ever since.

1978: Non-participation in French Open

In 1978, Chris Evert did not participate in the French Open, opting to play in King's World TeamTennis.

1978: World's Number One Player

In 1978, Chris Evert was ranked number one in the world at the end of the year by multiple tennis publications.

1978: US Open Win at Flushing Meadow

In 1978, Chris Evert won the inaugural US Open championship held on hard courts at Flushing Meadow. She also skipped the French Open for the third consecutive year to play in King's World TeamTennis.

May 12, 1979: End of Clay Court Winning Streak

On May 12, 1979, Chris Evert's 125-match clay court winning streak was broken when she lost to Tracy Austin in the Italian Open semifinal.

1979: Marriage to John Lloyd

In 1979, Chris Evert married British tennis player John Lloyd and changed her name to Chris Evert Lloyd.

1980: Non-participation in Australian Open

In 1980, Chris Evert did not participate in the Australian Open, continuing a series of absences due to the tournament's decline in status.

1980: Year-End No. 1 Ranking

In 1980, Chris Evert finished the year ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles for the fourth time.

1980: World's Number One Player

In 1980, Chris Evert was ranked number one in the world at the end of the year by multiple tennis publications.

1980: French Open Title

In 1980, Chris Evert won the French Open, contributing to another clay court streak of 64 matches.

1981: Year-End No. 1 Ranking

In 1981, Chris Evert finished the year ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles for the fifth time.

1981: World's Number One Player

In 1981, Chris Evert was ranked number one in the world at the end of the year by multiple tennis publications.

1981: French Open Semifinal Loss

In 1981, Chris Evert's second clay court streak ended with a semifinal loss to Hana Mandlíková at the French Open.

June 1983: End of Semifinal Streak at Wimbledon

In June 1983, Chris Evert's streak of reaching at least the semi-finals in 34 consecutive Grand Slam singles events was broken at Wimbledon after a loss in the third round.

1983: Non-participation in Australian Open

In 1983, Chris Evert did not participate in the Australian Open due to the tournament's decline in status.

1983: President of the Women's Tennis Association

In 1983, Chris Evert served as president of the Women's Tennis Association.

1983: End of Consecutive Major Semifinal Streak

The 1983 French Open marked the end of Chris Evert's streak of reaching at least the semifinals in 34 consecutive major tournaments, which began at the 1971 US Open.

April 1985: "Greatest Woman Athlete of the Last 25 Years"

In April 1985, Chris Evert was voted the "Greatest Woman Athlete of the Last 25 Years" by the Women's Sports Foundation.

November 1985: Regaining the Number One Spot

In November 1985, Chris Evert regained the world No. 1 ranking at the age of 30 years and 11 months, making her the oldest woman to achieve that milestone at the time.

1985: French Open Victory over Navratilova and World No. 1 Ranking

In 1985, Chris Evert defeated Martina Navratilova 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 in the French Open final, securing the world No. 1 computer ranking for the fifth and final time.

1986: End of Consecutive Grand Slam Title Winning Years

In 1986, Chris Evert won at least one Grand Slam singles title, marking the end of her 13-year streak of winning at least one Grand Slam title per year.

April 1987: Divorce from John Lloyd

In April 1987, Chris Evert and John Lloyd divorced. The couple had separated after Evert's affair with Adam Faith but reconciled briefly, chronicling their marriage in a biography.

1987: US Open Quarterfinal

In 1987, Chris Evert reached the quarterfinal in US Open.

1988: Marriage to Andy Mill

In 1988, Chris Evert married American downhill skier Andy Mill, after being introduced by Martina Navratilova. They went on to have three sons together.

1988: French Open Third Round

In 1988, Chris Evert reached the third round in French Open.

1989: US Open Quarterfinal

In 1989, Chris Evert reached the quarterfinal in US Open.

1989: Retirement from Professional Tennis

In 1989, Chris Evert retired from professional tennis after the US Open, having amassed 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 157 singles titles. Her last match was a win in the Fed Cup final.

1990: Jennifer Capriati Breaks Record

In 1990, Jennifer Capriati, another Floridian, broke Chris Evert's record for the furthest a player had reached in her first senior-level tournament by reaching the final at Boca Raton.

1991: President of the Women's Tennis Association

In 1991, Chris Evert ended her role as president of the Women's Tennis Association.

1995: Election into the International Tennis Hall of Fame

In 1995, Chris Evert was unanimously elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

1997: Philippe Chatrier Award

In 1997, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) presented Chris Evert with the Philippe Chatrier Award for her contributions to tennis.

1999: ESPN's Greatest North American Athletes of the 20th Century

In 1999, Chris Evert was rated No. 50 among ESPN's Greatest North American athletes of the 20th century.

2005: Tennis' 40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era

In 2005, Tennis magazine named Chris Evert fourth on its list of 40 Greatest Players of the Tennis era.

November 13, 2006: Divorce Filing from Andy Mill

On November 13, 2006, Chris Evert filed for divorce from her husband, Andy Mill.

December 4, 2006: Divorce Finalized with Andy Mill

On December 4, 2006, Chris Evert's divorce from Andy Mill was finalized, with Evert paying Mill a settlement of US$7 million in cash and securities.

June 28, 2008: Marriage to Greg Norman

On June 28, 2008, Chris Evert married Australian golfer Greg Norman in the Bahamas.

October 2, 2009: Separation Announcement from Greg Norman

On October 2, 2009, Chris Evert and Greg Norman announced they were separating after 15 months of marriage.

December 8, 2009: Divorce Finalized from Greg Norman

On December 8, 2009, Chris Evert's divorce from Greg Norman was finalized.

June 2011: Joins ESPN as Tennis Commentator

In June 2011, Chris Evert joined ESPN as a tennis commentator for Grand Slam tournaments.

2012: Tennis Channel's 100 Greatest Players of All Time

In 2012, Chris Evert ranked ninth overall, and fourth highest among women in Tennis Channel's poll of players and experts to determine the 100 Greatest Players of all time.

May 2013: Connors' Autobiography Controversy

In May 2013, Jimmy Connors released his autobiography where he claimed Chris Evert was pregnant with their child and chose to terminate the pregnancy. Evert responded by stating she was disappointed that Connors misrepresented a private matter in his book.

June 2013: International Tennis Hall of Fame Special Merit

In June 2013, Chris Evert was awarded a special merit from the International Tennis Hall of Fame, receiving their gold ring for her outstanding achievements.

June 2013: Rafael Nadal Breaks Evert's Record

In June 2013, Rafael Nadal broke Chris Evert's record of seven French Open singles titles.

2013: Serena Williams Surpasses WTA Number One Record

In 2013, Serena Williams surpassed Chris Evert's record as the oldest woman to reach WTA number one.

2015: Launches Chrissie by Tail Activewear Line

In 2015, Chris Evert launched a line of tennis and active apparel in collaboration with Tail Activewear, called "Chrissie by Tail".

2018: Nadal's 11th French Open Championship

In 2018, Rafael Nadal won his 11th French Open championship, surpassing Chris Evert's record for most clay court Grand Slam titles.

2019: Member of Athlete Advisory Committee for Aurora Games

In 2019, Chris Evert was a member of the Athlete Advisory Committee for the Aurora Games.

2021: Support for Women's Sports Policy Working Group

In 2021, Chris Evert became a supporter of the new Women's Sports Policy Working Group, which opposed President Joe Biden's executive order mandating blanket inclusion for all transgender female athletes.

May 2022: Completion of Chemotherapy

In May 2022, it was reported that Chris Evert had completed chemotherapy treatment for her ovarian cancer. Her doctor stated there was a 90% chance the cancer would never return due to early diagnosis.