Dec 16, 2013

Martina and Chris: A Real Friendship

I watched a documentary on TV called “unmatched” about the relationship between Martina Navrátilová and Chris Evert.

They were top tennis players in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, and they competed for the grand slum title countless times.

They were complete opposites. Martina said on the documentary, “Chris was the girl-next-door, but I was a muscular lesbian from a communist country.” They played tennis very differently. Martina always tried to rush to the net and Chris tried to make a passing shot on the baseline.

It is interesting that both their outsides and insides were in contrast to each other. Although Chris looked the girl-next-door, she was full of fighting spirit and cool on a court. Martina, on the other hand, was physically strong, and mentally vulnerable. Martina was hurt by being treated as if she was an evil when she played against Chris.

In the documentary, they talked to each other quite intimately, and they appeared to trust each other deeply. In her prime, Martina thoroughly beat Chris. Chris said, “Unfortunately she played better than I.” But Martina said, “Chris always covered for me, when the press criticized me.”

The documentary shed new light on their true friendship under the myth. It might be worth watching it, unless you're not a fan of tennis.

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