The rivalry between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova is one of the finest that tennis has ever seen. The two played a total of 80 matches against each other, including 14 Grand Slam finals in a rivalry that defined an era in women’s tennis. But little do people know that the two briefly formed a doubles pair as well and even won two majors. However, despite the success, Evert suddenly walked away from the partnership in 1976.

Turns out that this was the time that the rivalry between the two had started becoming fierce, and Evert didn’t want Navratilova to be too close to her.

“We were playing doubles together and then Martina started beating me,” Evert said in an interview on CNN. “And I went to her and said, ‘Martina, I don’t think I can play doubles with you anymore.’ In my mind, I felt like we were getting a little too close. She was knowing my game a little bit too much from the practicing in doubles and my No. 1 goal was to be No. 1 in singles. That didn’t mean I wasn’t gonna be your friend. I just thought that I should break up the doubles.”

Notably, the two had initially agreed to play doubles at the 1976 US Open, but Evert had unexpectedly backed out because she wanted to focus more on singles. This move benefited her as she went on to win the singles title at the Grand Slam while Navratilova suffered a shock first-round exit.

“And I got that. Some people can’t be friends with a really good opposition. She dumped me for doubles in 1976. We won Wimbledon in 76, we won here in 75 and we won in 76. I think I lost to Chris in the semis that year on grass and then we go to US Open. We were supposed to play doubles together and that’s when Chris said, ‘I need to concentrate on singles,'” Navratilova stated.

Evert and Navratilova’s first notable encounter came at the 1975 French Open final. It was quite an intense battle that went down to the final set, but Evert eventually triumphed 2-6, 6-2, 6-1. This was the second of her record seven French Open titles. However, this would prove to be her only triumph over Navratilova in a final until 1982. The latter would emerge victorious in the 1978 and 79 Wimbledon finals before winning the 1981 Australian Open final as well.

Navratilova dominated Evert when it comes to the H2H record in Grand Slam finals. She holds a 10-4 advantage over her rival and has a 14-8 lead when it comes to Grand Slam matches. Additionally, she also has a 43-37 lead over Evert in the overall H2H record.

After pushing each other to the absolute limit for over a decade, the rivalry between the two started to fade by the end of the 80s. Evert and Navratilova’s final encounter came in 1988 at the final of the Virginia Slims of Chicago. The latter triumphed 6-2, 6-2, registering her 43rd and final victory of the matchup.

Evert would announce her retirement in 1989, while Navratilova would continue playing until 1994. The last five years didn’t turn out to be a success for Navratilova as she only registered one Grand Slam triumph (Wimbledon 1990) during the period. She would end up making a doubles comeback in 2000 before finally bidding adieu to the sport in 2006.

While both Evert and Navratilova reigned supreme over countless opponents throughout their careers, their toughest challenge actually came after moving away from tennis. Both of the icons faced serious battles with cancer.

Navratilova had first battled breast cancer in 2010 and underwent a lumpectomy. However, the cancer would return by 2023, and she would also be diagnosed with throat cancer this time around. On the other hand, Evert was diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer in 2021. The diagnosis came just a year after her sister had passed away due to the same disease.

Evert and Navratilova became the best of friends while fighting against a common enemy. They helped each other in getting through the tough times, and both had become cancer-free by July of 2024. This strong friendship will take center stage in their upcoming Netflix documentary.

Evert and Navratilova’s documentary is all set to premiere on Netflix

The documentary titled “Chris & Martina: The Final Set” premieres on Netflix on June 26. Before being streamed for viewers across the world, the film will receive its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 10.

The documentary is directed by two-time Emmy Award winner Rebecca Gitlitz. The project won’t just reflect on their intense rivalry on the court but will also showcase how they became lifelong friends off it. The documentary will also highlight their grueling and emotional battles with cancer.

Notably, the filming of the project had begun almost 2 and a half years ago, following Navratilova’s second cancer diagnosis. However, the story took a major turn after the production team got to know that Evert’s cancer had returned in 2023.

As a result, the filming of the documentary became even more personal. It is safe to say that the viewers are in for an emotional ride as the documentary releases in the final week of June.