Six-time US Open winner Chris Evert beats cancer for the second time

Six-time US Open winner Chris Evert, who won 18 Grand Slams in total, has battled ovarian cancer for the second time after telling Good Morning America about her diagnosis and recovery.

Evert told GMA, "I was surprised," when she was diagnosed, as, "I was stage I. We got it early the first time. That means you have a 90-percent chance of it not coming back."

Following her first battle, Evert underwent regular testing to unsure a clean bill of health. Unfortunately it was during one of these screenings a new tumour was discovered.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Evert's latest diagnosis and subsequent recovery led her to a realization, "I really have to live my best life right now, and I have to get out there, be an advocate for the BRCA gene, genetic testing." The BRCA gene, "allows doctors to examine DNA to look for mutations that can lead to breast or ovarian cancer," per The Daily Mail.

Evert, a regular presence on ESPN's tennis coverage, was able to return to work earlier this year at the French Open before working again at Wimbledon. Now, with the US Open coming up, expect to hear her legendary voice analyzing throughout the tournament at Flushing Meadows.

Few women have left such a mark on tennis as Chris Evert. The American dominated her era and holds one of the most impressive records in the game. Join us on a journey through the past of Chris Evert, on and off the court.

Evert was born on December 21, 1954 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, into a Catholic family.

Tennis is in her blood, as her father Jimmy was a coach and a former player and her siblings also played tennis. However, it was Chris who would make the name Evert known worldwide.

Evert enjoyed a highly successful junior career, winning the national 16-and-under championships. When she was 15, she surprised the world by beating legend Margaret Court at a tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina. The future looked bright for the young Evert.

Evert turned pro in 1972, but had made his Grand Slam debut as an invitational a year before. At the US Open, she had stunned the world by reaching the semi-finals, only to lose Billy Jean King.

In 1974, after three lost major finals, she would lay the foundations of her impressive career by winning her first two Grand Slams: the French Open and Wimbledon.

The year later, Evert fought her way to the World No. 1 position, which she would hold for a total of 260 weeks in her career. Furthermore, she finished the year as the best player in the world seven times in her career.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Evert's style of play was characterized by playing from the baseline, counter-punching and excellent movement. She made few unforced errors and managed to control her nerves when the going she got tough, earning her the nickname 'Ice Maiden'.

In total, Evert would win no fewer than 18 majors in his career, including seven French Open titles and six US Open titles. Throughout her career, she would claim 157 singles titles and 32 doubles titles, amassing $8,896,195 in prize money, according to wtatennis.com. Impressive.

She also proudly represented her country in the Fed Cup, winning the tournament no less than eight times and retiring in 1989 after winning in that year's final against Spain's Conchita Martinez.

Evert's fiercest rival during her career was Martina Navratilova (pictured), with a win-loss balance of 43-37 in the latter's favor. Like Evert, Navratilova also won 18 majors during her singles career.

It speaks for itself that Evert got a lot of recognition for her splendid career. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Philippe Chatrier Award two years later.

In her personal life, Evert was in a relationship with former tennis star Jimmy Connors (pictured) in the 70s, who she got engaged with. However, they never got married, and Connors later hinted in his autobiography that Evert had an abortion without his consent when she was pregnant.

"I am extremely disappointed that he used the book to misrepresent a private matter that took place 40 years ago and made it public, without my knowledge," Evert reacted in a statement to Reuters. "I hope everyone can understand that I have no further comment."

Evert subsequently married three times. She divorced tennis player John Lloyd (pictured) and remarried skier Andy Mill, with whom she has three sons. They divorced in 2006, after which Evert married golfer Greg Norman in 2008, from whom she divorced just 15 months later.

After his playing career, Evert is still involved in tennis. She runs her own tennis academy in Boca Raton, is also the publisher of Tennis Magazine and works as a commentator for ESPN.

In December 2021, Evert suffered a huge blow when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the disease from which her sister had already died. Since then, she has successfully beaten the disease twice and has become an advocate for regular screenings to ensure others are able to do the same.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!