Chris Evert’s Call-Back to Her Cancer Battle Triggers Monica Seles to End Digital Silence With an Emotional Message
Had it not been for her sister, Chris Evert may have found out she had cancer a little too late. That former World No. 1’s name is synonymous with dominance on the tennis courts—18 Grand Slam singles titles, 2 Grand Slam doubles titles, and a legacy etched in sports history. But behind the trophies lies a story of unimaginable strength and resilience: her fight against not one but two bouts of cancer; a fight that started less than two years after her sister passed away.
In February 2020, Jeanne Dubin bid farewell to the world after a valiant battle with ovarian cancer. And almost two years later, Chris Evert was referred for genetic testing by her sister’s oncologist. “It was unbelievable to me that they kept track, even when my sister had passed away, of the gene mutation she had,” Evert said. What was also not fathomable to Evert was that the variant Jeanne had would be reclassified as cancerous. But it happened, and so started the 18-time Grand Slam champion’s battle, one that has garnered an outpouring of love from the entire tennis community.
The 69-year-old former tennis star took to her Instagram to share a picture of her shaved head, presumably from one of her chemotherapy sessions when the cancer came back in December 2023. But just as her oncologists caught Stage 1 ovarian cancer early in 2021 (after a total hysterectomy and removal of both her fallopian tubes and ovaries), they did so last year, too. Looking back at her two successful battles against the disease, Chris Evert captioned the post, “not so long ago! grateful for every day, everything, everyone! ❤️”
This quickly gained traction from many in the tennis community as wishes for her good health poured in. One of them was Monica Seles, who broke her digital silence to honor Evert’s courage. She may have ‘outclassed’ Chris Evert as a 15-year-old, but that didn’t stop her from expressing her high regard for the veteran player.
Responding to the post, the 51-year-old wrote, “Every day is a gift, and you are such an inspiration to all of us.” Interestingly, Seles has remained quite inactive on social media for quite some time. Her last post on Instagram came in July 2022 when she shared a picture of herself enjoying a Saturday evening. On X, too, the former player has remained quite inactive, with her last post coming in December 2022 – although she reshared a post by Billie Jean King in March 2023, where the legend wished former tennis player Mary Carillo a happy birthday.
As for her ‘outclassing’ Chris Evert, the 18-time Grand Slam champion opened up about it in a 2009 interview with ABC. Referring to the Virginia Slims of Houston final from April 1989, Evert recalled, “She beat me when she was 15. I’ve never seen anybody play like that in my life.” Winning the match 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, the then-15-year-old Seles won the first of her 53 WTA singles titles. Coming back to Evert’s post, Seles wasn’t the only one to show her love.
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Chris Evert’s mentee, Ajla Tomljanovic, wrote, “Love you sm ,” while Judy Murray – Andy Murray’s mother – commented, “You’re rocking it, as only you can. You have an army behind you – family, friends and fans. from 3 of your Scottish ones admirers xx” Jannik Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill, joined in support as well: “The best. Big hugs Chrissie and see you in Melbourne very soon ❤️” Former player Kim Clijsters shared, “❤️ Always beautiful ❤️”
For the unversed, in 2022, Evert publicly detailed her first cancer diagnosis to raise awareness about ovarian cancer that was diagnosed in 2021. A little more than a year after her first cancer treatment started, a precautionary CT scan in December 2022 revealed a cancerous mass. The former player went through the entire process a second time and defeated the illness again. Evert also shared that it was due to the demise of her sister that she found out about her disease.
In an interaction with the fashion brand Ralph Lauren in July this year, Evert shared, “My sister Jeanne died from Ovarian cancer. After she died, her blood test came back two years later. They told me her blood showed that she had the BRCA gene. It’s terrible that without her death, I would not be living right now,” she said. But as she battled through her disease, she received immense support from her close ones, and one such name was that of her old friend, Martina Navratilova.
Chris Evert recalled how Martina Navratilova helped her during her cancer journey
Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were once fierce rivals. Between 1973 and 1988, Evert and Navratilova played around 80 matches against each other, with 60 of them being tournament finals. In fact, in 1984 and 1985, the rivals-turned-friends featured in 6 of 8 Grand Slam finals. As for their head-to-head, Evert won 21 of their first 25 meetings, but that only fueled Navratilova to go back to the drawing board and find ways to get the better of her American rival.
Martina put in hours after hours in the gym and returned stronger, both mentally and physically. And it was evident on the court, considering she won 30 of their last 39 matches. While the Czech-American may have had the better record in their head-to-head (43-37), Evert won one of their most famous encounters – the 1985 French Open final – to reclaim the World No. 1 ranking. But as Evert battled her illness, she witnessed Navratilova, who went through similar challenges once, standing by her side and supporting her in every possible way.
Being a cancer survivor herself, Navratilova had some insights into the process, and Evert could not ask anyone better for help. Expressing the same, Evert admitted, “She has been such a support for me. Coming over to my house, cooking me soup, cooking me pasta, really taking care of me, calling me, making sure I’m OK.” Continuing further, she acknowledged their close bond. “If I’m going to go through the trenches, there’s nobody I’d pick more than Martina.”
With her unparalleled determination, Christ Evert sets an example for many. Her story is a powerful reminder that champions aren’t just made on the court—they’re forged in life’s toughest battles.
