It was the 1981 Australian Open. Top seed, Chris Evert had reached the final and was looking to win her maiden Australian Open crown. She was up against her on-court rival and good friend, Martina Navratilova in the summit clash.
The match began with Evert taking a keenly fought first set in the tiebreaker, winning it 7-6 (4). However, Navratilova came back strongly to level the match by winning the second set 6-4. She carried the momentum into the deciding set and won it 7-5 to upset Evert. The latter was depressed with the defeat after coming so close to winning her first Australian Open title. Navratilova once opened up about how she consoled her good friend after defeating her.
When Martina Navratilova consoled Chris Evert
During an interview, Navratilova talked about how she consoled Evert after defeating her in the 1981 Australian Open final. She said, “She was really depressed. I remember consoling her after the match, I couldn’t walk out of there without doing that. I just saw her sitting there in the training room and she said to come over, I gave her a hug.”
The two have set a great example as far as rivals-turned-friends are concerned. During their careers, they enthralled fans across the globe with their audacious displays on the tennis court. Fans eagerly awaited to watch them play against each other. The battles between them were often keenly fought, which could go in any direction.
Earlier this year, Navratilova congratulated Evert after she completed her chemotherapy sessions to treat cancer. The latter was diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer.
Navratilova’s rivalry with Evert
Their rivalry is considered to be one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the sport. Over the course of their careers, the two faced off against each other an astonishing 80 times. While Evert dominated the early course of their rivalry, Navratilova came back strongly. The latter has won 43 of the 80 matches played against Evert.
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The two also teamed up to form a formidable doubles pairing, winning the 1975 French Open and 1976 Wimbledon Championships.
The post ‘She Was Really Depressed’ – Martina Navratilova Once Proved Her Great Rival Chris Evert Was Also Her Dear Friend With an Extraordinary Gesture appeared first on EssentiallySports.
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