Chris Evert had fun engaging with a question posed by the US Open Tennis channel to their followers. The channel asked tennis fans to rate their ability to slide on clay courts on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being “looking like Rafa,” referring to Rafael Nadal as the ultimate measure. In a lighthearted response, Evert, herself a legendary clay court player, took to Twitter and replied with a few wondering emojis.
Chris Evert’s Clay Court Prowess
While Rafael Nadal is known as the king of clay courts, Chris Evert’s clay court skills should not be overlooked. Evert is a 7-time French Open champion, which was a record at the time. Tennis fans were quick to catch on to her witty response on Twitter and praised her for her skills on the surface, reminiscing about her epic clash against Martina Navratilova in the finals of the 1985 French Open.
Evert’s Record on Clay Courts
Tennis legend Chris Evert dominated women’s singles tennis in the 1970’s and 80’s, being ranked World No. 1 for 260 weeks and collecting 18 Grand Slam titles, including 7 victories at the French Open. Evert’s winning streak on clay was famously impressive, boasting a 72-6 record at Roland Garros. Her seven French Open titles have only been surpassed by Rafael Nadal in the realm of tennis.
Memorable Moments in Evert’s French Open Victories
Chris Evert won her first French Open title in 1974 with a commanding straight-set victory over Olga Morozova. In one of the greatest women’s matches of all time, Evert managed to overcome her longtime rival Martina Navratilova in 1985 to claim her sixth French Open title. She later reflected on her emotions during that match, stating “When I hit the last winner down the line, I was really proud of myself. I never gave up and when I finally got to match point I went for a winner and I hit it. I had held my emotions in for so long that I really kind of let go.”
In the following year, Evert defended her title and won her seventh French Open championship, once again against Navratilova.
