Tennis legend Chris Evert has announced that she has stage 1 ovarian cancer. She tweeted the news, along with a link for an article. ESPNShe shared her diagnosis in an article.
She also shared a message with her fans.
“I wanted to share my stage 1 ovarian cancer diagnosis and the story behind it as a way to help others,”She wrote. She stressed the fact that every patient has it and that chemotherapy will bring her positive results.
“Thank you to all of you for respecting my need to focus on my health and treatment plan. You will see me appear from home at times during ESPN’s coverage of the Aussie Open.”
Chris will begin her first of six rounds of chemotherapy this week, according to ESPN writer Chris McKendry. She says that Evert’s cancer has not been found elsewhere in her body and was only discovered after a preventative Hysterectomy.
Jeannie Evert, Chris’s sister, was also a professional tennis player. Jeannie died in February 2020, at the age of 62.
According to ESPN, it was late-stage and had spread throughout her body.
And although Chris says watching her sister in treatment was devastating and traumatizing, she will lean on her sister’s memory to get through her own difficult time.
“When I go into chemo, she is my inspiration,”Evert said. “I’ll be thinking of her. And she’ll get me through it.”
Evert’s 1971 US Open debut was her career debut. She was just 16 years of age.
She went on to win 18 Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam doubles titles in her career, CNN wrote.
She also became the first female athlete ever to be awarded $1 million in prize cash. She was No.1 in the world for seven year and was also the first female host. “Saturday Night Live.”
Chris Evert is an analyst and commentator for ESPN and runs the Evert Tennis Academy.