Many rivalries burn bright for a few years. Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova competed for about 15 years, playing each other 80 times. Their rivalry shaped women's tennis and set new standards for athleticism and sportsmanship. In Part 8 of The Greatest Rivalries in Sport, we look at their remarkable story.
Two contrasting champions
Chris Evert, from Florida, born in 1954, was the queen of the baseline. She was precise, consistent and mentally tough, famous for her two-handed backhand and her calm composure, which earned her the nickname "the Ice Maiden" early in her career.
Martina Navratilova, born in Prague in 1956, was an aggressive left-handed serve-and-volley player. She defected from Czechoslovakia to the United States in 1975 and later became a US citizen. In the early 1980s, she transformed her fitness and training, raising the athletic level of women's tennis.
The numbers
- They met 80 times from 1973 to 1988, with Navratilova leading 43 to 37.
- They played 60 finals against each other, including 14 Grand Slam finals; Navratilova won 10 of those Grand Slam finals.
- Evert won 18 Grand Slam singles titles; Navratilova also won 18, plus many doubles titles.
Shifting balance
In the 1970s, Evert dominated the rivalry and women's tennis, especially on clay. As Navratilova improved her fitness and focus in the early 1980s, the balance shifted dramatically. She won Wimbledon a record nine times, and from 1982 to 1984 she was nearly unbeatable.
Evert responded by improving her own fitness and adding more aggression. One of her proudest wins was the 1985 French Open final, a thrilling three-set victory over Navratilova.
Different surfaces, different queens
Evert was strongest on clay, where she won the French Open seven times and once put together a long winning streak on the surface. Navratilova was dominant on grass. Their matches at Wimbledon and Roland Garros became classic contrasts of styles.
Friendship through rivalry
Despite competing for the same titles for years, Evert and Navratilova developed a deep friendship. They practised together early in their careers, played doubles together and supported each other through personal challenges. In recent years, both spoke publicly about supporting each other through cancer treatment, showing how deep their bond became.
Changing women's sport
Their rivalry helped women's tennis become one of the most popular women's sports in the world. Along with pioneers such as Billie Jean King, they helped push for better prize money, professional respect and visibility for female athletes.
Why it matters
Evert versus Navratilova shows that rivalry can be long, intense and respectful at the same time. Each made the other better, and both changed their sport.
In Part 9, we move to baseball and one of America's oldest rivalries: the New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox.
The Greatest Rivalries in Sport: the full series
- Part 1: Federer vs Nadal
- Part 2: Ali vs Frazier
- Part 3: Real Madrid vs Barcelona
- Part 4: Senna vs Prost
- Part 5: Magic vs Bird
- Part 6: The Ashes
- Part 7: Borg vs McEnroe
- Part 8: Evert vs Navratilova (you are here)
- Part 9: Yankees vs Red Sox
- Part 10: Coe vs Ovett
Records, scores and statistics are commonly cited figures and may vary slightly between sources.
