Where Is Chris Evert Now? Inside the Tennis Legend's Life After Retiring Over 30 Years Ago
Where Is Chris Evert Now? Inside the Tennis Legend's Life After Retiring Over 30 Years Ago
Nasha SmithSun, June 28, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC
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Chris Evert in 1972 ; Chris Evert in June 2026Credit: Slim Aarons/Getty; Manny Carabel/WireImage -
Chris Evert rose to fame as a tennis star in the 1970s, ultimately winning 18 Grand Slam singles titles
Evert and Martina Navratilova’s rivalry and friendship is explored in the new Netflix documentary, Chris & Martina: The Final Set
After beating ovarian cancer twice, Evert continues to promote accessible tennis programs
Chris Evert is one of the most decorated tennis players in history — and continues to contribute to the sport's legacy today.
Over the course of her career, Evert won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, held the world No. 1 or No. 2 ranking from 1975 to 1986 and owns the best winning percentage in tennis history, male or female. But for much of her career, one name was never far behind: Martina Navratilova. The two rivals met 80 times over two decades, with their contrasting styles and personalities making every encounter must-see TV.
Off the court, the two built a lasting friendship which is now the subject of a new Netflix documentary, Chris & Martina: The Final Set, which premiered on June 26. In it, the duo discussed their rivalry and how their bond deepened after both received cancer diagnoses.
“All of a sudden, we retire, and we get cancer at the same time,” Evert told Good Morning America ahead of the premiere in June 2026. “That even brought our relationship, our friendship, to another level because of the support and the care that we had for each other.”
So, where is Chris Evert now? Here's everything to know about her life after retiring from tennis in 1989.
She grew up in a tennis family
Chris Evert and her familyCredit: Art SEITZ/Gamma-Rapho via Getty
Evert’s dad, Jimmy, grew up playing tennis in the parking lot of the St. Henry’s Church in Chicago. After winning the Illinois state high school championship and a stint in the Army, he went on to play tennis on scholarship at Notre Dame. He enjoyed a short professional career and rose as high as eighth in the U.S. rankings, per his alma mater, before becoming one of the most celebrated American tennis coaches.
He and his wife, Colette, moved to Florida in 1948. There, he taught Chris and her four siblings — Jeanne, John, Drew and Clare — how to play.
“I asked him once why he started all of his kids playing tennis,” Chris shared after his death in August 2015. “I thought he might give me a glamorous answer like ‘My goal for you is to be No. 1 in the world,’ but he said, ‘I started all of you playing so I could keep the family together.’ ”
She added, “He would not criticize me ever for losing a match. I always tried to win for him. In a nutshell, my Dad created the ideal environment for me to compete. He gave me the space I needed and in his own quiet way brought out the best in me by not asking me to be more than myself. As great as he was as a coach, he was even greater as a father.”
Chris’ sister Jeanne also played on the pro tour, winning all of her Fed Cup matches for the U.S. in 1974 and notching a career-high WTA ranking of No. 28.
She is one of the greatest tennis players of all time
Chris Evert in 1983 after winning the French OpenCredit: DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP via Getty
Evert is widely considered to be one of the greatest tennis players in history.
She won 18 singles Grand Slams — tied for fifth-best in women’s history with Navratilova — and claimed at least one major singles title in a record 13 consecutive years. She also won three women’s Grand Slam doubles titles, two with her friend and rival Navratilova.
Her 157 career singles titles are second only to Navratilova’s 167, and she was the first player to surpass 150. Her .900 winning percentage of 1,309 wins against 148 losses remains the best in history, male or female. She also won a record seven French Open singles titles — a mark that stood until Rafael Nadal surpassed it in 2013 — and a record six US Open singles titles, which Serena Williams matched in 2014.
Evert was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995.
She has been married three times
Chris Evert and Jimmy ConnorsCredit: getty
Evert and eight-time men’s Grand Slam champion Jimmy Connors were one of the original sports power couples in the 1970s.
They started dating as teenagers in 1972 and embarked on a whirlwind romance that saw them engaged by the following year. But just five weeks before the wedding in November 1974, the pair called off their engagement, per The New York Times. In 1979, Evert married British tennis player John Lloyd; however, their marriage ended in 1987.
She then married Olympic skier Andy Mill in July 1988, and they went on to welcome three sons — Alexander, Nicholas and Colton — before parting ways in 2006 after 18 years of marriage. The relationship ended in controversy, with Evert and golfer Greg Norman leaving their respective spouses for each other. Evert and Norman married in 2008, but split 15 months later.
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Evert acknowledged her regret at how things ended with Mill in an August 2011 interview with Elle. “A lot of it was my neediness,” she said. “In a way, I’d always gotten my way. I wasn’t as independent as I should have been — a quality I wish I had developed at a younger age. It wasn’t Andy — it was all me.”
The two have since reconciled as friends, with Chris & Martina: The Final Set showing Mill accompanying Evert to cancer treatments. "There's a caring there that'll never go away," she said in the documentary. "Sometimes it takes terrible things to happen for you to realize how you really feel about things."
She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021 and in 2023
Chris Evert in 'Chris & Martina: The Final Set'Credit: Courtesy Netflix
In February 2020, Evert's sister Jeanne died after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer more than two years prior. Jeanne's cancer had already advanced to stage 4 by the time she received her diagnosis, Evert recalled in The Final Set.
“Jeanne was selfless, caring and kind,” Evert said after her sister’s death. “As a sister, I admired her stellar character and her unwavering devotion to her loved ones. She fought a brave battle, and now heaven is lucky to have her.”
Before she died, Jeanne underwent genetic testing to find out whether a gene mutation, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, may have contributed to her cancer. Further testing two years later found that the family might be predisposed to ovarian or breast cancer, Evert told PBS in September 2022.
This led Evert to go in for testing, where she was diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer in December 2021. After two surgeries and six rounds of chemotherapy, Evert announced she was cancer-free in January 2023.
"My doctor said, if you hadn't found it, you would have been stage 3 or 4," Evert recalled in her Netflix documentary. "[Jeanne] had to die from this insidious cancer to give me the chance to have the life that I have now."
Doctors found a cancerous mass in December 2023, forcing Evert to undergo more treatment. She announced that she was cancer-free once again in July 2024, per The New York Times.
In June 2026, Evert announced that she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer for a third time. “Ovarian cancer is relentless, but I will stay optimistic and determined in continuing to fight this battle,” she wrote on Instagram. “I am deeply grateful to my medical team, my family, friends and everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon.”
Where is Chris Evert now?
Chris Evert, her sons and grandsonCredit: Chris Evert/instagram
Since her retirement in 1989, Evert has stayed connected to the sport as a media member.
She joined NBC Sports in 1990 as a tennis commentator and analyst, covering the French Open and other events until 2003, when she stepped away from the role, citing her desire to spend more time with her family and focus on her charitable work. By 2011, she returned to broadcasting with ESPN as an analyst, covering major tournaments.
Evert has also worked to develop the next generation of players, joining her dad and brother John to create the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla., in 1996. Over three decades, the academy has developed several collegiate and professional players. Evert and the academy have partnered with the United States Tennis Association (USTA)’s flagship program, the National Junior Tennis and Learning Network, which provides affordable tennis for underserved communities.
“I grew up in the public park system. It provided an opportunity where I could set goals, and I could play the sport that I loved. And I believe that every child deserves at least this,” she told ESPN in 2022.
A year after her father’s death, Evert established the Jimmy Evert Merit Scholarship, which supports college readiness programs and advanced tennis training, per ESPN. She currently serves as the chairperson of the USTA Foundation, which aims to provide equitable access to tennis.
In her June 2026 announcement, Evert noted that she would be stepping "back from my professional commitments over the next few months to focus on my health."
In addition to her professional work, Evert is also a grandmother to Nicholas’ son Hayden, who was born in May 2024.
“My grandchild Hayden is, wow … everyone kept saying, ‘Wait until you have a grandchild,’ ” Evert told We Are Tennis in February 2025. “I thought nothing can top having a child. But having a grandchild is double the fun, because you’re also seeing your son being a father.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
