The ‘Cinderella in Sneakers’, Chris Evert, rose to fame in 1974 when she became the best player in the world by clinching the French Open and US Open titles in the year. With her rapid rise, she quickly became the talk of the town in the tennis world, and her popularity helped to drive the 1970s US tennis boom. From Rolex to Wilson, several renowned brands lined up to sign a deal with this American superstar. After clinching 157 career titles, including 18 Grand Slam triumphs, Evert finally called an end to her tennis career in 1989. But her legacy still remains well intact! Recently, the 70-year-old tennis great announced an exciting update about sharing her legacy with a lucky fan. What’s that update, though?
If we take a look back, Chris Evert’s career spanned a period of significant change in tennis equipment, especially the rackets. She was always known for her long-standing use of wooden rackets, which were pretty much common during the early phases of her career. However, in the mid-1980s, she switched to graphite rackets. Those lucky ones who have witnessed Evert play explain that the sounds of balls coming off her racket could then be substituted for a metronome that musicians use to keep tempo. Such was the elegance!
Renowned racket brand Wilson played a major role in supplying her with the most prized possession. Chris Evert signed a racket deal with them upon turning professional in 1972. Her collaboration with Wilson led to the creation of the ‘Chris Evert Autograph’ racket (1975), which was designed specifically for women’s play, with a much lighter head for mobility, a flexible shaft for power, and a long grip. Recently, in one of her IG posts, Evert announced “Now this is pretty cool, one of my rackets is going into a trading card And now a lucky collector will be able to share it with me. Follow @topps for all the details!“
Previously, Wilson Sporting Goods came up with a specially designed pink color racket to not only celebrate her legacy in the sport but also to show support for cancer research. Being an ovarian cancer survivor herself, Evert designed that racket around the pink color as a testament to not only her bravery but millions of others around the world who are fighting cancer. All her 18 major titles were highlighted in the hoop of the racket as well as along the side of this sleek pink frame to create a masterpiece of tennis memorabilia. Her rackets have always been in demand. But just like most other players, did Evert also have this habit of smashing rackets out of rage?
In 2010, during an interview, Chris Evert stated, “Most players — even those known for their icy demeanors, like Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer — were emotional on the court as juniors. I was no different. I threw and broke my share of rackets. But my dad taught me something that became instrumental to my success. How to bottle my emotions during a match and never give my opponents an indication of how I was feeling.” So, later on, even if she was losing or felt exhausted, she never let those emotions vent out. That’s how her cool, calm demeanor was introduced, which later added to her constant chase for success. Talking about success, what does Evert think about Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic’s success at this year’s French Open?
Considering their recent struggles, Chris Evert isn’t too optimistic about Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic’s chances at the 2025 French Open
If we take a look at the numbers, Chris Evert has won seven French Open titles in her career, Novak Djokovic has won just three but on the other hand, Iga Swiatek has clinched five Grand Slam titles in her career so far, and four out of them have come on Roland Garros! Speaking about the Pole’s incredible record at Roland Garros, once Evert had said, “I’m worried about it every day. When I put my head under the pillow I’m worried about Iga. I think Iga will end up on double digits. I don’t just think she will beat my record here. I think it’s double digits.”
In fact, when Swiatek won the title in 2023, Chris Evert hailed her hunger for success by drawing a comparison of her with legends like Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, and Martina Navratilova. This year, Swiatek has a win-loss record of 27-9, and she’s yet to win a title. Seeing her poor form, Evert recently came up with a prediction for the French Open.
She said, “I don’t know how you can pick anybody between [Aryna] Sabalenka, Iga, and Coco, and with Madison Keys, really to me would be my fourth pick. I just don’t know how Iga is going to react. That, to me, is the unknown. We know what she is capable of, and with her past records, she’s brilliant at the French Open, but I just don’t know if she can find her A game, because she’s going to need it. It’s kind of like we’re seeing her C game right now.“
On the other hand, Djokovic has also been trophyless for quite some time now. Speaking about the Serb’s chances, during the same interview with Forbes, Chris Evert claimed, “I would never underestimate him, but I would be surprised if he won another major, let’s put it that way.”
Do you agree with her predictions for the upcoming major tournament? Share your thoughts in the comment box.
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