"When Martina Navratilova and I play, we're there literally naked" - When Chris Evert opened up about her unique bond with arch-rival
Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova have one of the greatest rivalries in tennis, having played 80 times against each other. Navratilova leads the head-to-head 43-37, with the record being 36-24 in her favor when it comes to finals.
After starting on the tour as fierce rivals, the duo blossomed into close friends as time raged on, especially as a result of the time they spent together on the court matching each other shot-for-shot.
Speaking in an interview with Sports Illustrated in 1986, Evert shed light on their relationship, stating that they had a close bond because of how vulnerable they had seen each other. Describing their battles on the court as being akin to the feeling of being "naked" with someone else because of the emotional component, Chris Evert emphasized how it drew her and Martina Navratilova close.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion then spoke about the consideration they had for each other, revealing that no matter how tough either had lost, they had never once told the other to leave them alone afterwards.
"When you think about it, when Martina and I play, we're there, before and after, stripped of everything. Literally naked. But more than that, we've both seen the other be so vulnerable. We've seen each other hurt and crying. That draws you so close. It almost takes the fun out of winning," Chris Evert said.
"We both have to be so considerate of the one who has lost. But you know, maybe the most revealing thing of all about how we feel about each other is that never once, no matter how tough the loss, never once has one of us said to the other, 'I'm sorry, but can you leave me alone?' Never once," she added.
"Martina Navratilova and I are linked, whether we like it or not" - Chris Evert
Chris Evert further spoke about her relationship with Martina Navratilova during the aforementioned interview, stating that she and her countrywoman had at least one "meaningful" conversation a year as friends.
Even though they were opponents on th court, Evert believed she and Navratilova saw themselves as part of something interlinked in the locker room, whether they liked it or not.
"It's always a very meaningful talk, and it's deep, and I know that because it carries over. Ten years ago we were closer, because we were hanging out together, but we know each other better now. We're opponents on the court, but in the locker room, then, the way I see it, we're part of something. Martina and I are linked, whether we like it or not," Chris Evert said.
On the court, Navratilova and Evert met for the first time in 1973, in which the latter one. The final clash of their 80-battle history came in 1988 in Chicago, where Martina Navratilova won.