"I wanted roots and he wanted wings" - When Chris Evert talked about her divorce with ex-husband Greg Norman
Chris Evert once talked candidly about her divorce from her ex-husband, former golf star Greg Norman. The couple separated after just 18 months of marriage.
Norman was Evert's third husband. Before him, she married fellow tennis star John Lloyd from 1979 to 1987 and former Alpine ski racer Andy Mill from 1988 to 2006. Evert and Mill have three children: Alexander, Nicholas, and Colton. She was also engaged to former World No. 1 Jimmy Connors, but they went their separate ways in the late 1970s.
Interestingly, Norman was best friends with Mill and ended his 25-year marriage to Laura Andrassy to be with Evert. They announced their engagement in December 2007 and exchanged vows six months later in the Bahamas in June 2008. However, the couple called it quits in 2009.
In a 2010 interview with Woman's Day magazine, Chris Evert talked about her divorce from Norman, saying she was blindsided by it.
"I had no idea it was coming. It wasn't talked about, ever. Never in a million years did I imagine it would end up like this," the 18-time Grand Slam champion said.
The American also mentioned that she and her ex-husband had different priorities.
"It was our priorities and our lifestyles. I wanted roots and he wanted wings," Evert said.
Chris Evert: "Greg Norman needs to take accountability for the promises he made and the way he left"
In the same 2010 interview with Woman's Day magazine, Chris Evert elaborated on her divorce from Greg Norman. She admitted to holding herself accountable for their split but felt frustrated because she believed her ex-husband should have done the same.
"I am the first to admit I need to hold myself accountable and responsible, which I am doing. But Greg [Norman] needs to take accountability for the promises he made and the way he left," Evert said.
The 18-time Major champion added:
"I still had an enormous amount of guilt. I brought that into my marriage with Greg and I allowed it to have an effect. I've also learned, chances are, any relationship that starts out in a dishonest way is not going to work. It already had a strike against it."
When asked if she missed Norman, Evert replied:
"I miss my family time with Andy and the kids. That was 20 years of history. Probably the best years of my life. I also really miss Greg's parents. The best part about him are his parents. They are great people. They're very down to earth and level headed. I always got along great with them."