Chris Evert biography
Chris Evert, in full Christine Marie Evert, additionally referred to as (1979–87) Chris Evert Lloyd, (born Dec. 21, 1954, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., U.S.), excellent American tennis participant who dominated the game within the mid- and late Seventies and remained a serious competitor into the late Nineteen Eighties. She was famous for her consistency, precision, poise, and charm and for popularizing the two-handed backhand stroke.
Evert, the daughter of a famous tennis participant, early started taking tennis classes from her father. Her type advanced quickly to characteristic a robust two-handed backhand and a level of focus that usually unnerved opponents. At age 15 she beat top-ranked Margaret Smith Court, and in 1971 she grew to become the youngest participant to succeed in the semifinals of the U.S. championship. The following 12 months she superior to the semifinal spherical of her first Wimbledon match and gained the Virginia Slims match.
In December 1972 Evert turned skilled; she gained her first skilled match in March 1973 and graduated from highschool quickly after. Victories within the 1974 French and Italian championships and at Wimbledon highlighted a outstanding 56-match successful streak. Her relationship with (and later engagement to) tennis star Jimmy Connors was adopted intently by the media, particularly after each gamers gained the singles championships at Wimbledon in 1974, however the couple later referred to as off their engagement. She retained her Italian and French titles in 1975, and that 12 months she additionally gained the primary of 4 consecutive U.S. Open titles (1975–78), changing into the primary girl since Helen Hull Jacobs to take action. In 1976 she gained her second Wimbledon title. Despite having had occasional troubles on grass courts, she compiled some of the spectacular information in tennis in clay-court competitors; as of April 1978 she was undefeated on clay in 118 matches in 24 tournaments.
Following her marriage to tennis participant John Lloyd in 1979, she adopted the identify Evert Lloyd (the couple divorced in 1987). She added to her success with victories on the U.S. Open (1980 and 1982), Wimbledon (1981), the Virginia Slims (1987), the French Open (1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, and 1986), and the Australian Open (1982 and 1984).
She retired from skilled tennis in 1989 and have become a tv commentator, a particular adviser to the United States National Tennis Team, and president of the Women’s Tennis Association (1982–91). She additionally based Chris Evert Charities, which focuses totally on drug and household issues. With her household she cofounded (1996) the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla. In 2008 Evert married Australian golfer Greg Norman (they divorced the next 12 months).
The recipient of quite a few honours, Evert was voted the Associated Press’s Female Athlete of the Year on 4 events, and in 1985 the Women’s Sports Foundation named her the best girl athlete up to now 25 years. She was unanimously inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995.