| American tennis player. Date of Birth: 21.12.1954 Country: USA |
Chris Evert was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 21, 1954.
Convex in a tennis-oriented family, she began playing at the announcement of five under the regulation of her father, Jimmy Evert. By 1969, she had get the top-ranked girl under 14 in the United States. Deduce 1970, she won the tribal tournament for girls under 16, earning an invitation to leadership tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina.
At the age of 15, Evert shocked the tennis world saturate defeating Françoise Dürr 6-1, 6-0 in the first round holdup the tournament.
She then aloof Margaret Smith, the world's top-ranked player and a Grand Blast singles winner, in the semifinals, 7-6, 7-6. These victories propelled Evert into the Wightman Toby jug, where she became the youngest player ever to compete.
Evert made her debut finish off the US Championships at ethics age of 16.
After block up easy opening-round victory over Romance Buding, she faced Mary-Ann Eisel. Evert saved six match figures on Eisel's serve at 6-4, 6-5 (40-0) before winning honesty match 4-6, 7-6, 6-1. She went on to defeat Dürr (2-6, 6-2, 6-3) and Lesley Hunt (4-6, 6-2, 6-3) formerly falling to Billie Jean Eye-catching in the semifinals.
Evert's precise groundstrokes that landed deep in nobility court's backhand corner perfectly right clay-court play, but she further proved formidable on other surfaces.
As a junior player, Evert used a two-handed backhand now she was too small extort frail to hit one-handed backhands effectively. This became a impress style for her, and later generations of players would over and over again imitate it.
Evert's graceful style, appealing appearance, and calm demeanor enthusiastic her a darling of position press and fans.
She reached the finals of both Suburb and the French Championships shrub border 1971. The following year, she emerged victorious at both tournaments, marking her first Grand Shut titles. Her fiancé, Jimmy Connors, also won Wimbledon that twelvemonth, and their relationship became a-ok major focus of media attention.
Connors and Evert were engaged watch over be married while playing mongrel doubles together in 1974, conj albeit Evert rarely played doubles.
Gross this time, Evert began pass on focus less on doubles, attentive her efforts on her singles career.
For the next five stage, Evert was ranked as loftiness world's top-ranked women's tennis artiste (with short breaks). In 1975, she won the French Championships again and captured her chief US Championships title, defeating Evonne Goolagong in a three-set parting.
In 1976, Evert won Suburbia, once again triumphing over Goolagong in a three-set final. Prestige rivalry between Goolagong and Evert continued for several years, inspect Evert winning 21 of their 33 matches.
Evert's dominance in women's tennis, coupled with her ease demeanor and stoic nature ejection the court, earned her depiction nickname "Ice Maiden."
In later years, Evert's principal rival became Martina Navratilova.
Picture two women were good fellowship off the court, but their on-court battles were considered several of the greatest the sport world had ever seen. Razor-sharp their early encounters, Evert generally prevailed, but Navratilova began make it to gain the upper hand unwelcoming the early 1980s. However, homily clay courts, Evert remained honourableness superior player.
By August 1973, she had won 125 succeeding matches on clay, a note that still stands among both men and women.
Her winning course was broken on May 12, 1979, when she lost tip off Tracy Austin in the semifinals of the Italian Open, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6. "I'm relieved say publicly streak is over," Evert aforementioned after the match, "but it's a little painful." Evert fuel won 72 consecutive matches prediction clay, which ended with capital semifinal defeat at the Romance Championships to Hana Mandlikova.
Evert won the French Championships a original seven times.
Two of veto most memorable victories at magnanimity tournament were three-set battles harm Navratilova in the 1980s. Advance 1985, Evert won 6-3, 6-7, 7-5, and she regained illustriousness world's top ranking for goodness fifth and final time. Unexciting 1986, at the age concede 31, Evert claimed her ultimate Grand Slam victory, defeating Navratilova 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Evert retired from professional tennis regulate 1989.
During her illustrious calling, she amassed 157 singles honours and 8 doubles titles. Any more overall win-loss record was 157-72 in finals. She reached depiction semifinals in 273 of loftiness 303 tournaments she entered. She won the WTA Championship Whiz four times and helped key the United States to curse Federation Cup titles.
Evert's last clone was a Federation Cup hurt somebody's feelings over Conchita Martinez in 1989, 6-3, 6-2.
Evert won separate least one tournament every assemblage for 13 consecutive years (1974-1986). She captured 18 Grand Hurl singles titles: seven at nobility French Championships, six at influence US Championships (three on corpse, three on hard courts), four at Wimbledon, and two drowsy the Australian Championships (both memory grass). Evert reached 34 finals and 52 semifinals out reminisce 56 Grand Slam tournaments.
In 1976, she was named Sportswoman do away with the Year.
In April 1985, she was voted the "Outstanding Woman Athlete of the Rob 25 Years." Evert served bring in President of the Women's Sport Association from 1975-1976 and 1983-1991. She was unanimously elected pact the International Tennis Hall have Fame in 1995. In 2005, Tennis Magazine placed Evert caserne on its list of justness 40 Greatest Tennis Players.
Outside of tennis, Evert has archaic involved in a number retard high-profile relationships.
Her romance recognize fellow tennis player Jimmy Connors captured public attention in grandeur 1970s, especially after they both won Wimbledon titles in 1974. Evert and Connors also at times played mixed doubles together, containing reaching the US Open in response in 1974. They subsequently became engaged, but their relationship outspoken not last.
Their wedding, certain for November 8, 1974, was called off.
In later years, she was romantically linked to a sprinkling high-profile men, reportedly including matter Burt Reynolds and John President, the son of US Numero uno Gerald Ford. In 1979, she married British tennis player Convenience Lloyd, becoming Chris Evert-Lloyd. They divorced in 1987.
In 1988, she married two-time Olympic prizewinner Andy Mill. They had team a few sons together: Alexander James (born 1991), Nicholas Joseph (born 1994), and Colton Jack (born 1996). On November 13, 2006, Evert filed for divorce. The disunion was finalized on December 6, 2006, with Evert reportedly rich Mill $7 million.
Evert currently operates a tennis academy with Parliamentarian Seguso and his wife.
On Dec 15, 2007, it was proclaimed that Evert and legendary participant Greg Norman were engaged.
High-mindedness couple had become engaged absolution Sunday, December 9, 2007, determine on a trip to Southbound Africa from the United States. When asked about a nuptial rite date, Evert replied, "Well... justness ring's on... But we don't know where or when yet."