“I thought nothing could top having a child. But having a grandchild is double the fun,” Tennis Legend Chris Evert said in Feb, talking to We Are Tennis while revealing how blessed she is to have Hayden James. While the American icon may have won 18 Grand Slams, it seems all accomplishments pale in comparison to having adorable moments with her grandson.
Evert has, time and again, emphasized the importance of family in her life. Just a while ago, she revealed how spending time with her grandson motivated her to overcome cancer for the second time. “It makes me want to live even more,” she told the New York Times, while also vowing to be a ‘fun grandmother’ for as long as possible. Similar to her on-court prowess, Evert is also taking this role passionately, giving a sneak peek of the adorable moments with her grandson.
The former WTA legend shared an adorable moment: Hayden giving an inevitably cute reaction after having a tasty meal. “Love this little one,” wrote Evert, sharing his picture. Hayden was born in May 2024 to her son, Nicholas Mill and his wife, Rebbecca.
Evert’s immense love for Hayden was reflected in another moment she revealed on IG a few days back. Remember how the grandmother-grandson duo enjoyed their time on a couch with Evert reading him a book called ‘Ilama Ilama Red Pajama’? “Granny…,” she simply wrote in the caption.
Then, there was another cute instance from last month. She showed her son Nicholas and Hayden while aptly captioning the picture, “Like father, like son.” But guess what? Apart from the adorable Hayden, she’s also got a niece, named Remi. The latter is the daughter of Evert’s sister, Clare. Similar to Hayden, Evert never misses a chance to share moments with Remi; she calls her “Princess Sofia”.
Last month, Evert dedicated a post to Remi on her birthday. She took to Instagram on February 7, and dropped a photograph with her niece. In the captions, the ex-American pro wrote, “Happy birthday to my sweet, beautiful niece, @remi.shane. Where has the time gone? Love you always .”
Apart from cherishing time with her little grandson, Evert remains an undisputed tennis expert. As a commentator, she is a regular presence at major WTA Tour events as part of ESPN’s team.
Not long ago, balancing her professional and family life became a tough challenge—especially while battling cancer. But the veteran fought through it, emerging victorious in the ultimate game, set, and match against this formidable opponent. How?
Chris Evert narrates how being a professional athlete helped her against cancer
In 2021, Chris Evert received a diagnosis of early-stage ovarian cancer. Moreover, doctors found that she carried the BRCA1 variant. It’s the same genetic variant that led to the tragic passing of her sister Jeanne Evert Dubin due to ovarian cancer in 2020. Although Evert won against the disease with the help of surgery, it resurfaced in 2023. “Doctors are always hopeful,” she told the Times. “If something returned the second time, there’s more of a chance that it’s going to return.” We hope it never returns.
After successfully recovering from cancer, she revealed last month how being a professional athlete aided her in winning this battle. In an interaction with We Are Tennis, dated February 7, she said, “I think just being a top professional athlete, you have to have thick skin anyway, and you have to have a backbone, and you have to be used to ups and downs and bad losses and good losses.” And she, indeed, is a tough nut.
Continuing further, she said, “I think that has helped me tremendously in this fight. I think it’s the competition and being a professional athlete has helped me. Also it’s my nature to be pretty patient about things. I have always taken blows pretty well, emotionally and mentally, so you say this and then, I don’t know.” The former WTA pro is truly a legend, isn’t she?
With her fighting spirit, she will always remain an inspirational figure to look up to for young generations. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
The post WTA Legend Chris Evert Gushes Hard Over Her 10-Month Old Grandson as She Proudly Shares Snippets of Her Granny Life appeared first on EssentiallySports.