"I don't want Chris Evert to have a child and come back" - When American's then-husband John Lloyd wrongly predicted her early retirement from tennis
Chris Evert's glittering career was once predicted to come to an early end by her then-husband, British tennis player John Lloyd, who also explained the reasons behind why he wouldn't want the American to continue competing if they had children.
Evert and Lloyd got married in 1979, tying the knot at the St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church in Fort Lauderdale. The same year, the American triumphed at the French Open and reached the Wimbledon final. She continued her dominant run by setting up a highly anticipated final with Tracy Austin at the US Open.
Speaking to the press before Chris Evert's title clash at the New York Major, John Lloyd asserted that while he had no personal preference about whether the American retired immediately or extended her career another decade, he believed she wouldn't continue playing past 28.
"She could play for two or three more years, or this could be her last year. I think personally she'll play next year, but she could wake up tomorrow and say 'that's it.' I don't care if she plays one more day or 10 more years, but I don't see her playing after 28," Lloyd had said (via the New York Times).
Lloyd also asserted that he wouldn't want Evert to return to professional tennis after having children, citing the difficulties of making a comeback after an extended break.
The Brit further highlighted the logistical challenge of having to travel with a nanny if Chris Evert resumed her career. Although Lloyd conceded that Evonne Goolagong Cawley made it work with her daughter Kelly, he pointed out that her husband, Roger Cawley, wasn't an active player.
"I don't want her to have a child and come back on the circuit. If she has nine months off, it's much harder to come back then. And we would need a nanny to bring the baby around with us. That's not the way to do it," he said.
"Evonne Goolagong does it but it's different. Roger, her husband, doesn't play tennis. But the big thing about Chrissie is, I don't want her ever to stop playing tennis until it's out of her system," he added.
Despite John Lloyd's prediction of not competing past the age of 28, Chris Evert proved him wrong by continuing her career until the age of 34 before retiring at the 1989 US Open, following the couple's divorce in 1987.
"No fanfare, no parties, nothing going on" - Chris Evert on her 'low-key' retirement
Speaking to the press at the 2022 US Open, Chris Evert reminisced about her "low-key" retirement, recalling that there was no fanfare or parties when she hung up her racket at the New York Major in 1989.
"I retired at the U.S. Open. It was so different in that day. I mean, it’s like I just waved and walked off the court, and that was it. And there’s no fanfare or anything. No parties. Nothing. Nothing going on. So, I thought it was pretty low-key," Chris Evert said.
The former World No. 1 also shed light on her regrets about not cherishing the moment more or taking the time to connect with fans to mark the end of her illustrious career.
"I wish maybe that I could have savored the moment a little bit more and really looked at the fans and maybe been a little more emotional about it and felt a little bit more. I guess I wish I would have been a little more in the moment and a little more engaged in the moment when I retired and walked off center court," she added.
Following her retirement, Chris Evert welcomed her first child, son Alexander, with her then-husband, American downhill skier Andy Mill, in 1991. The couple went on to have two more sons, Nicholas in 1994 and Colton Jack in 1996, before their split in 2006.