OT: Evert and Navratilova: Rivals, Friends, Survivors

[UConnCat]

Beautifully written story by Sally Jenkins about the enduring friendship between these two tennis legends and the love and support they've given each other through recent battles with cancer.

 

[Sargassoc]

I happened to read this just this morning, before I even got out of bed. It was an excellent read.

 

[Bald Husky]

I was a huge Chris Evert fan.

 

[Scud49]

Thank you so much - I just finished listening to the audio feed. What wonderful competitors and friends those two have been over the years. It's amazing they both endured cancer at the same time in their lives, and were there for each other.

 

[oldude]

Here’s some numbers to ponder. Navratilova and Evert dominated women’s tennis for 15+ years. From 1973-1988 they played each other 80 times, 60 of which were in tournament finals. When the WTA rankings were first introduced in 1975, for the next 12 years, one or the other was ranked #1 in the world for 601/624 weeks.

 

[JellyBean]

Beautiful indeed. Great rivals back in the day and that rivarly turned into an incredible friendship over the years and decades.

 

[Bigboote]

I saw that in the Post yesterday. Wonderful story -- I didn't remember them particularly being buds way back when, but I was young and probably bought into the media's version of rivalry.

 

[Beemer]

A friend of mine posted the article on Facebook. What an incredible legacy they share, not just of being champions but somehow remaining friends through it all.

Evert-Navratlilova is one of the all time greatest sports rivalries & that is a hill I will die on. The contrast in personalities & playing styles just added to it. I always favored Martina because I loved her game, serve & volley at its best. Unfortunately nobody plays serve & volley anymore.

 

[huskyd]

Wonderful story both the writing and the content. I grew up near the Everts in South Florida and watched Chrissie play through her senior year in high school. I last saw her in Gainesville in a high school championship game (which she won). At that time, Chrissie was compared to a wall, arguing that in a contest between the two, young Evert would win.
Also in that long ago, Don Shula was coaching the Miami Dolphins with great success. Both Shula and Evert had one great lesson (at least) to teach: be a good loser. These two were the epitome of grace and good sportsmanship, and that's what I remember the most across the years.

 

[Beemer]

One of the greatest doubles teams of all time was Navratilova/Shriver.