This week, The Post’s Andrew Marchand caught up with NBC tennis analyst Chris Evert. The 47-year-old Evert won 18 grand slam singles titles in her career, including Wimbledon, which is where she spoke from via phone.
Q: What was the hardest aspect of being on the Tour?
A: Traveling was the hardest thing. Just getting on airplanes and living in hotels and having room service. In the beginning it is sort of glamorous, but then after a while you long for more normalcy in your life and roots.
Q: How did your rivalry with Martina Navratilova unfold?
A: We first were friendly. We were doubles partners, then practice partners. At that time, I was No. 1 and she was No. 4 and then she started beating me. I felt we were getting too close and I was feeling she knew my game too well. I split up the partnerships there. I felt I had to keep my distance from her.
Then we went through another period. At first, I wanted to alienate myself from her. Then she wanted to alienate herself from me. With the help of Nancy Lieberman – her coach, who taught Martina to hate me. … The last five years of our careers, we got together and talked about the influences that people had on us and wasn’t it ridiculous we let people affect the way we felt about each other.
Q: Who is the greatest women’s player of all-time?
A: Toss-up. I think Steffi Graf and Martina. It is hard to say in other eras. I would just say in my era those two probably would be. And I don’t know how you could say one was greater than the other.
Q: When you played, do you think women were on steroids?
A: I don’t think in general steroids were a part of the Tour, but we weren’t tested. It wouldn’t surprise me if one or two players in my era had taken them. I don’t know, so I can’t name names. I saw one or two women physically change in front of my eyes in a year or so and over a period of years get stronger and more muscular and more aggressive.
Q: What is your take on Anna Kournikova?
A: I don’t know her at all. I don’t think very many people know her. I don’t think very many people are allowed to get close to her. I don’t think she is the friendliest player on the Tour. I think she is a hard worker. I think she is working really hard on her game, contrary to what the [British] tabloids say.
Whatever her image is, it is a little bit of her and a lot of the press. The press mainly being male has built up this image of her looks and her beauty, and I think they started it and she went along with it. Now, she is the most famous women’s athlete and she has never won a tournament.