Chris Evert, the 18-time Grand Slam winner and No. 1 in women’s singles for 260 weeks, announced on social media on June 25 that she is again fighting ovarian cancer.
Evert, 71, was originally diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2021. The Boca Raton resident then became cancer free in January 2023 but later announced it returned that December.
Evert discovered her ovarian cancer has returned after CT and PET scans over the weekend. She has already undergone surgery and will begin chemotherapy in the next few weeks.
“Ovarian cancer is relentless, but I will stay optimistic and determined in continuing to fight this battle,” Evert said.
Evert is one of ESPN’s expert tennis analysts, a position she has held since 2011. She was scheduled to attend Wimbledon and promote her documentary “Chris & Martina: The Final Set” but will not attend because of her health.
In December, Fort Lauderdale honored Evert by renaming the main court at its Holiday Park tennis facility as the “Chris Evert Stadium Court.”
Chris Evert cancer battle
Evert was first diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer in December 2021. This diagnosis occurred about a year after her sister died from the same disease. She went through a double mastectomy after discovering she carried the BRCA gene. After the announcement of being cancer free at the beginning of 2023, but she later said the disease returned at the end of that year. She said she beat the cancer again in 2024 and has been getting scans every three months since.
Chris Evert tennis career
A South Florida sports icon, Evert graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas in Broward County and went on to win 157 career singles titles and 18 Grand Slam singles titles before retiring in 1989. Over the last 15 years, she has been one of ESPN’s top tennis analysts. Evert played professional tennis for 17 years, earning a series of awards and accomplishments during her time. Born in 1954 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Evert competed professionally from 1971-88, retiring at age 34.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Chris Evert says her cancer has returned, won’t attend Wimbledon
Reporting by Samantha Guillotte and Eric J. Wallace, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
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By Samantha Guillotte and Eric J. Wallace, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
