Tennis champion Chris Evert revealed on Friday that she had been diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer. “I wanted to share my stage 1 ovarian cancer diagnosis and the story behind it as a way to help others,” the 67-year-old ESPN broadcaster said in a statement released on her Twitter account. “I feel very lucky that they caught it early and expect positive results from my chemo plan. Thanks to Chris McKendry for her friendship and for co-writing this very personal story with me. And thanks to all of you for respective 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.”
The 18-time Grand Slam winner linked to an interview she did with her ESPN colleague and friend Chris McKendry, explaining that her doctors managed to catch the cancer early after a preventative hysterectomy and It had not spread anywhere else in her body. Tragically, her younger sister and fellow tennis pro Jeanne died in February 2020 at the age of 62 after battling ovarian cancer for nearly three years. It was Jeanne’s death that had prompted Evert to have the preventative hysterectomy, which ultimately saved her life since the cancer was found so early.
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“More people need to hear stories like these!” Evert said in the interview. “It’s the stark reality! We need to have these conversations. Ovarian cancer is a very deadly disease. Any information is power.” She also offered critical advice to readers: “Be your own advocate. Know your family’s history. Have total awareness of your body, follow your gut and be aware of changes. Don’t try to be a crusader and think this will pass.”
At the height of her career, Evert was the No. 1-ranked tennis player in the world, which earned her a place in the International Hall of Fame in 1995. She’s worked at ESPN as an analyst since 2011 and has been one of the network’s mainstays of tennis coverage over the last decade.
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