Chris Evert Biography

1954-

American tennis player

In the 1970s and 1980s, Chris Evert was one of the most dominant and popular women's tennis players in the United States and the world, influencing many young players to try the game. Over the course of her professional tennis career, she won 157 titles and 1300 matches, including eighteen singles titles at Grand Slam events. She had a winning percentage of more than 90 percent. Evert was the first woman tennis player to win $1 million playing professional tennis, and went on to earn over $9 million before she retired in 1989. As Janet Woolum wrote in Outstanding Women Athletes, "She symbolized the best of women's athletics in America: drive, determination, skill, professionalism, and grace."

Evert was born on December 21, 1954, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the second child of Jimmy and Colette Evert. Jimmy Evert had been a decent tennis player in his day, winning as a junior and in some single men's tournaments. He was employed as a teaching tennis professional and tennis park manager in Florida. Evert began playing tennis at the age of six at Holiday Park Tennis Center where her father was the teaching pro. Her two brothers and two sisters also played, though only her younger sister Jeanne became a ranked professional player.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: c/o Evert Tennis Academy, 10334 Diego Dr. South, Boca Raton, FL 33428.