The “terrible thing” that turned fierce tennis rivals Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert into “sisters”

Their rivalry was the greatest the tennis world had ever seen, facing off in a record-breaking 80 matches across their decades-long careers in the ’70s and ’80s. However, since retiring from the game, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert have found an unlikely kinship in one another.

In 2023, their friendship was solidified forever when they were both forced to face their most harrowing battle yet – fighting cancer.

“There’s no competition of whose cancer was worse,” nine-time Wimbledon champion Martina, now 69, tearily says in the new autobiographical Netflix documentary Chris & Martina: The Final Set.

“We’re in the same boat,” she adds.

BATTLING TOGETHER

Martina was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, and while she was given the all-clear later that year, it returned, along with stage-one HPV-related throat cancer in 2023.

However, she has since been given the all-clear.

That same year, Chris was given the heartbreaking news that her ovarian cancer, which had first been diagnosed in 2021, had also returned.

Again the two would be locked in a fierce battle, only this time they’d be helping each other through.

The pair battled cancer together in 2023, and it brought them closer than ever.

“I mean, look, if I wanted to be in the trenches with anyone it would be Martina,” Chris, now 71, said recently.

“We were in the trenches together, and we were growing closer and bonding over the fact that we would look at each other, and say, ‘How is this happening?’

“Sometimes it takes terrible things to happen for you to realise how you really feel about things.”

In the documentary, the two world record holders are seen accompanying each other through treatments and meetings with doctors, who broach scary prognoses and unthinkable requests to plan for an uncertain future.

BONDED FOREVER

But amid the darkness emerges one of the strongest examples of female empowerment seen on screen, and according to a close source, gives new insight into “one of the longest-lasting friendships in sport”.

“They consider each other more sisters than anything else now,” the source tells Woman’s Day.

“Which is remarkable considering how intense their on-court rivalry was when they were tennis champs.

“But take away their competitive drive and they had nothing but common ground. They’ve been each other’s biggest cheerleaders and often go on family vacations together.

“Chris was even a maid of honour at Martina’s wedding to Julia [Lemigova in 2014]. They’ve been loyal to each other through the tough times and the triumphs, of which there have been many.”

MARTINA WARNED CHRIS ‘DON’T MARRY GREG’

A shock revelation that’s not in the doco is the role Martina played in Chris’ high-profile marriage to Aussie golf legend Greg Norman.

Greg and Chris shared a whirlwind romance that saw them leave their long-time spouses for each other in 2006 and become engaged a year later.

But sources say it was Martina who warned Chris against rushing down the aisle too quickly.

“Martina knew her friend should never have married Greg. She warned Chrissie not to be hasty,” says the source.

“Martina was also one of the first people Chris leaned on during the divorce [in 2009]. She was so grateful to have her by her side.”