Chris Evert

In the 1970s Chris had a relationship with tennis player Jimmy Connors. The couple even played mixed doubles occasionally. They were engaged but the wedding was called off

She married tennis player John Lloyd in 1979. However, they divorced in 1987. During this marriage Chris Evert had an affair with British singer Adam Faith.

In 1988, Chris Evert married Olympic skier Andy Mill and had three sons – Alexander James (1991), Nicholas Joseph (1994) and Colton Jack (1996). In 2006, she filed for a divorce that was granted later that year.

Chris Evert was born on 21 December 1954, in Boca Raton, Florida, to Jimmy Evert, and Colette Thompson. Her father was a professional tennis coach and Christ Evert began taking tennis lessons from her father at the age of five.

In 1973, she graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale and later attended the Auburn University in Alabama with a full athletic scholarship for tennis.

As a child, constant practice helped Chris Evert become the No. 1 junior player in the ‘Under 14’ age group. She also won the national championship (Girls – Under 16) for tennis in 1970.

When Evert was 15 years she was invited to play an eight player clay court tournament where she defeated Margaret Court - a world No. 1 and Grand Slam winner in the semi-finals. This led to Chris Evert being selected as the youngest ever player in the US Wightman team.

Chris Evert made her Grand Slam debut in 1971 following an invitation to play at the U.S. Open where she played against several seasoned professional players and reached the semi-finals.

In 1973, Chris Evert finished as runner up in the French Open and Wimbledon tournaments.

In 1974, she went through a “winning streak” of 55 consecutive matches during which she won the French Open and Wimbledon tournaments along with 16 other tournaments. Chris Evert also reached the finals of her maiden Australian Open tournament and semi-finals of the US Open. She was chosen to be ranked No. 1 by tennis experts. This ranking remained up to 1979.

In 1975, Chris Evert won the French Open and US Open tournament. The WTA rankings were introduced this year and she was the first woman tennis player to be ranked No.1.

Between 1974 and 1986, Christ Evert won at least one major tournament every year.

In 1976, Chris Evert was awarded “Sportswoman of the Year” by the ‘Sports Illustrated’ magazine.

In 1985, the Women’s Sports Foundation voted her as “Greatest Woman Athlete of the Last 25 Years”.

In 1995, Chris Evert was unanimously selected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Chris Evert had to her credit 7 French Open singles for 27 years until it was broken by Rafael Nadal in 2013. She is still the only woman player who has achieved this. Again in 2013 she was awarded a special merit from the International Tennis Hall of Fame.