Tennis legend Chris Evert is staying positive after announcing that her ovarian cancer has returned. The 71-year-old wrote in a June 25 Instagram update that she is sharing the news because she’s “always believed in being open and honest about my health journey.”
Chris Evert Details Her Cancer Treatment Plan
The 1988 Olympian says she got the news that her cancer was back after undergoing CT and PET scans. The three-time Wimbledon winner went on, “I have already undergone surgery as the first step in my treatment and recovery, and will begin chemotherapy in the coming weeks.”
A couple of weeks before her health announcement, she celebrated her son Nicky’s 32nd birthday with a cheerful selfie. Nicky’s 2-year-old son is her only grandchild.
Evert said because of the setback, she will be skipping Wimbledon and stepping back from her professional commitments in the coming months to focus on her health.
She closed out her statement by promising to stay positive, writing, “Ovarian cancer is relentless, but I will stay optimistic and determined in continuing to fight this battle. I am deeply grateful to my medical team, my family, friends, and everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon.”
Evert, who shares three sons with her ex-husband Andy Mill, was flooded with well-wishes after her announcement. Brian Boitano, 1988 Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, wrote, “Will be thinking of you and sending you so many healing vibes.”
A fan chimed in, “Stay strong! I have 3 friends who beat stage four and have lived extremely full lives for the past 20 years. Stay strong… you got this!”
Chris Evert’s Cancer Update Comes the Day Before ‘Chris & Martina: The Final Set’ Netflix Premiere
“Chris & Martina: The Final Set” hits Netflix on Friday, June 26. The documentary previously had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 10. The film’s description on the festival’s website reads, “Tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova reflect on their parallel journeys to sports stardom while delving into their rivalry and friendship, especially as the duo continue to support each other through their shared experience of cancer treatment.”
It goes on to say the two champions, who shared one of the sport’s most unforgettable rivalries from the early ’70s through the late ’80s, will “narrate their intertwined histories” in never-before-seen interviews and footage.
They will also discuss their shared experience of battling cancer. Navratilova was diagnosed with stage 1 throat cancer and early-stage breast cancer in January 2023. In March, she told Piers Morgan she was “cancer free,” as far as her doctors knew. She said in May of that year, “I’ve gone through a very difficult year, but now I’m OK, per ESPN.
When Was Chris Evert Diagnosed With Cancer?
NBC says Evert was previously diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021 and 2023, beating it both times. Evert lost her sister, Jeanne Evert Dubin, to the same disease in 2020.
