Chris Evert: “Surprised” by Cancer Remission, Tennis Legend Instils Confidence in People Struggling to Cope

American tennis legend, Chris Evert has faced quite a few big challenges in her life. She knows exactly how difficult it is to overcome these obstacles. Evert was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022 but then it was successfully treated. However, almost a year later she was yet again diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer. So, basically, she had to go through chemotherapy treatments twice in her life. These hardships have now made her an advocate to build awareness about the benefits of cancer prevention and early detection. During a recent interview with ‘Good Morning America,‘ she revealed how “surprised” she was to know the cancer remission in 2023.

The host of this show, Robin Roberts asked her how she felt after hearing the news of cancer making a comeback in her life. The first thing Evert said in reply was, “I was surprised.“ The 69-year-old tennis legend, went on to add, “Because I was stage one because we got it early the first time. That means you have a 90% chance of it not coming back.” Evert said her doctor later told her that they have seen something in her pelvic area. After hearing this, she was like, “Are you kidding me? I’m 90% cure.”

After knowing it was cancerous, Evert had to go through more chemotherapies and she described that moment as, “Almost like a second wake-up call.” However, her enormous mental strength helped her fight that battle and she’s now an advocate for BRCA gene genetic testing. She now explains the importance of early detection and how important these things can be to save one’s life. “If you feel something not quite right, go to the doctor.“

Evert’s sister Jeanne died after a two-year battle with ovarian cancer. Evert had to undergo a preventive hysterectomy after learning she carries the BRCA gene mutation. Speaking about her saddening experience with her sister, Evert put up a question saying, “They say I’m afraid to find out. It’s like well, aren’t you afraid not to find out? You know this all happened because my younger sister died from ovarian cancer.“

Evert explained she had one variant that was very suspicious, but that wasn’t BRCA. However, two years later, she found it turned into a BRCA gene. So, she was forced to remove it all. Despite all these hardships in her journey, fans will love to know that she is back at work as a tennis analyst for ESPN. This is something which she says, “keeps me going.” Martina Navratilova has been with her through these hardships showcasing her support for Evert multiple times in these tough times.

From rivals to friends: Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova has herself been diagnosed with throat and breast cancer in the past. She knows exactly, what it takes to win these tough battles off the court. So, when she heard that the cancer had returned to the life of her long-time rival and close friend, Chris Evert, she showcased rock-solid support with a beautiful gesture. She brought a smile to Evert’s face by hosting her for a wonderful dinner at her house.

Evert later on thanked, Navratilova through a social media post. She put a picture of themselves and captioned it saying, “We’re in this together! Thanks for the delicious food ⁦ @Martina.” Due to this recurrence of cancer, Evert was forced to miss out on 2024 AO coverage. She has time and again revealed how tough it is to sit back at home without any work as such.

For example during an interview in February 2014, she revealed, “I don’t want to just be a lady having lunch, getting manicures and pedicures every day and that’s it. I want to have a passion for what I’m doing.” So, missing out on covering the major tournament, was surely a tough one to digest, but her friends and family members always ensured she didn’t feel lonely on this journey. Fans are now hoping to see her rock the shows at the 2024 US Open.