From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia   Christine Marie "Chris" Evert (born December 21, 1954) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 singles championships and three doubles titles. She was the year-ending World No. 1 singles player in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, and 1981. Overall Evert won 157 singles championships and 29 doubles titles. Evert reached 34 Grand Slam singles finals, more than any player, man or woman, in the history of professional tennis. She reached the semifinals or better, in singles, of 52 of the 56 Grand Slams she played, including the semifinals or better of 34 consecutive Grand Slams entered from the 1971 US Open through the 1983 French Open. Evert never lost in the first or second round of a Grand Slam singles tournament. In Grand Slam singles play Evert won a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the . Evert's career winning percentage in singles matches of 90.05% (1309–145) is the highest in the history of tennis, for the men or women. On her career winning percentage in singles matches of 94.05% (316–20) remains a WTA . Evert has been president of the for 11 years, 1975–76 and 1983-91. She was awarded the Philippe Chartier award and inducted into the hall of fame. In later life Evert was a coach and is now a color analyst for . She has three sons, Alex, Nicky, and Colton with ex-husband . Tennis career Evert began taking tennis lessons when she was five years old from her father, (a professional tennis coach who had won the men's singles title at the in 1947). By 1969, she had become the No. 1 ranked 14-under girl in the United States. Evert played her first senior tournament in that year also, reaching the semifinals in her home town of , losing to 7–5, 3–6, 6–1. (For years, this was the record for the furthest a player had reached in her first senior-level tournament.[] That record was broken when another Floridian, , reached the final of the tournament in , in 1990 at the age of 13.) In 1970, Evert won the national sixteen-and-under championship and was invited to play in an eight player clay court tournament in . The 15 year-old Evert defeated 6–1, 6–0 in the first round before defeating 7–6, 7–6 in a semifinal. Court was the World No. 1 player and had just won the in singles. These results led to Evert's selection for the U.S. team, the youngest player ever in the competition. Evert made her Grand Slam tournament debut at the 1971 , aged 16, receiving an invitation after winning the national sixteen-and-under championship. After an easy straight-sets win over in the first round, she faced the American No. 4 Mary-Ann Eisel in the second round. Evert saved six match points with Eisel serving at 6–4, 6–5 (40–0) in the second set before Evert went on to win 4–6, 7–6, 6–1. She made two further comebacks against Durr (2–6, 6–2, 6–3) and (4–6, 6–2, 6–3), both seasoned professionals, before losing to in a semifinal (6–3,6–2). This defeat ended a 46-match winning streak built up through a variety of professional and junior tour events. This 46 match win streak included her first matches and wins over Billie Jean King, Virginia Wade and Bette Stove. In 1973 Evert was the runner-up at the French Open and the . A year later, she won both those events during her then record 55 consecutive match win streak, which included eight other tournament wins. She ended the year with at 100–7 match record, winning 16 tournaments including two Grand Slams (French and Wimbledon) and was a finalist in her first Australian Open, and for a fourth straight year, reached the semi-finals at the US Open. She was chosen as the year-end number one over her closest rivals, Billie Jean King and Evonne Goolagong, each of whom had 6 titles including a Grand Slam (King the US Open and Goolagong the Australian), by the leading experts and authorities of the day, except Bud Collins. Her at the time, , won the Wimbledon men's singles title that year and media attention surrounded the "Love Match" of tennis that summer. They partnered in the mixed doubles event at the 1974 US Open, finishing as runners-up. Their engagement was short-lived, as the marriage was called off later in the year. However, their on-again off-again relationship continued over the next couple of years. For the next five years, Evert was the world's No. 1 player. In 1975, she won her second French Open and the first of four straight US Open titles by defeating in a three-set final. Also in November of that year the official WTA computer ranking system was instituted, with Evert being the first No. 1. In total, Evert logged 260 weeks at number one (third all-time behind Graf and Navratilova respectively). Until February 2013, she had previously held the record of the oldest woman to be ranked number 1, having achieved that distinction after reclaiming that spot for the final time during the week of November 24, 1985, at the age of 30 years and 11 months old. Practically 10 years and 3 weeks to the day after having first achieved the number one spot. That record stood for 27 years 3 months. The following 1976 season holds a unique distinction for Evert, as this was the only time in her career where she won both Wimbledon and the US Open titles in the same year. She defeated Goolagong in a thrilling three-set final on the grass 6-3 4-6 8-6, and then destroyed her on the clay at Forest Hills 6-3 6-0. In all, Evert won 26 of 39 matches with Goolagong. Evert's domination of the women's game and her calm, steely demeanor on court earned her the nickname of the "Ice Maiden" of tennis. Throughout her career, Evert was ranked number one in the world at the end of seven different years by Tennis Magazine, by World Tennis Magazine and as well as a majority of other major tennis experts from 1974 through 1978, and in 1980 and 1981. In addition, Evert had by far the overall best match record in each of those seven years. 1977 and 1978 saw Evert continue to dominate the women's game, winning two more US Opens, the final one played at Forest Hills on clay (1977) and the inaugural one on hard courts at Flushing Meadow (1978). She won 18 or 25 tournaments, with a 126-7 match record, failing only once to reach at least the semi-finals during that span. Of particular note, Evert skipped the French Open during these years (as well as 1976) to play in Billie Jean King's World Team Tennis. Many tennis historical experts believe had she not skipped the tournament, there is no doubt she would have reigned supreme, winning all three years and pushing her total French Open titles to 10. This feat would have seen her finish all alone in 3rd place on the list of all time grand slam singles winners with 21 titles (behind only Margaret Court with 24, and Steffi Graf with 22). The other noteworthy event was Evert's 6-2 4-6 6-1 loss to Virginia Wade in the semi-finals of the 1977 Wimbledon. It was Wimbledon's centenary year, coinciding with Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jublilee as monarch. As monumental as this win was for Ms. Wade, it marked the last time she would ever defeat Evert. Perhaps an insight into what it truly meant to beat Evert and the price ones pays for achieveing that rare opportunity. A new rival to Evert's dominance emerged on the scene in the later part of the 1970s in the form of . Though frequent doubles partners, and good friends off the court, their fierce on-court rivalry is remembered as one of the greatest in tennis history. Evert had the best of their earlier encounters, at one point holding a 30–18 edge. However, in late 1982 Navratilova overhauled her game and fitness to begin a 13 match win streak that culminated in dramatic fashion at the , on what came to be known as Super Saturday. They entered the final with 30 match wins a piece. In a thrilling three set win, Navratilova overcame a first set deficit and a decidedly pro-Evert crowd to win 4–6, 6–4, 6–4. Eventually the saw a final match record of 43–37, in favor of Martina. However, in outdoor matches on grass, hardcourts and clay, Evert had the edge over Navratilova 23 to 21. Though successful on all surfaces, it was on clay courts where Evert was most dominant. Beginning in August 1973, she won 125 consecutive matches on the surface, with a loss of only 8 sets; a run which continues to stand as the benchmark among both men and women players. The streak was broken on May 12, 1979, in a semifinal of the , when Evert lost to 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(4) after Evert lost a game point to go up 5–2 in the third set. Evert said after the match, "Not having the record will take some pressure off me, but I am not glad to have lost it." Evert rebounded with another clay court streak that reached 64 matches (including titles at the 1979 and 1980 French Open) before ending with a semi-final loss to eventual winner at the 1981 French Open (a record of 189 victories in 191 matches on clay from 1973 to 1981). had a similar run of clay court dominance from 1935 through 1939, winning the French Championships three consecutive years (not playing there the other two years) and incurring only one loss on clay during that five-year period. Evert won the French Open women's singles title seven times, a record that stood alone for 26 years, until being tied in June 2012 by Rafael Nadal. She still holds the record for women players. Three of her victories came in three-set finals against Navratilova. In 1975, Evert defeated Navratilova to defend her title from the previous year 2–6, 6–2, 6–1. In 1985, Evert prevailed 6–3, 6–7, 7–5, a win that saw her capture the World No. 1 computer ranking for the fifth and final time. And, in 1986, the 31 year-old Evert won her last Grand Slam title by beating Navratilova 2–6, 6–3, 6–3. Evert beat Navratilova en route to her last grand slam final in the Australian Open in 1988, at the age of 33. Evert retired from the professional tour in 1989. During her career, she won 157 singles titles and 32 doubles titles. Her record in finals was 157–72 (.686). She reached the semifinals in 273 of the 303 tournaments she entered. Evert won the four times and helped the United States win the eight times. Evert's last match was a 6–3, 6–2 win over in the final of the 1989 Fed Cup. Perhaps of all of Evert's records and accomplishments, what may be her greatest single achievement is her record of having won at least one Grand Slam singles title a year for 13 consecutive years, from 1974 through 1986. They are as follows: '74 French, Wimbledon; '75 French, US Opens; '76 Wimbledon, US Open; '77 US Open, '78 US Open; '79 French Open; '80 French, US Opens; '81 Wimbledon; '82 US, Australian Opens; '83 French Open; '84 Australian Open; '85 French Open; '86 French Open. This is an unparalleled record of consistency in the world's biggest tournaments, made even more impressive when it's realized that Evert did not even participate in the Australian Opens held in 75–80, 83 or the French Opens in 76–78, as previously noted, thereby further reducing the number of chances to win one of the sport's four crown jewels. In fact, between September 1971 (her Grand Slam debut at the US Open) and June 1983 (her twelfth visit to The Championships Wimbledon), Evert never failed to reach at least the semi-finals of the 34 Grand Slam singles events she entered. This stunning string, however, was broken in the third round at Wimbledon in 1983, when the refused Evert's request to delay her match with to recover from food poisoning. This defeat also ended her attempt to be the holder of all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously, as Evert was then holder of the '82 Australian, U.S., and the '83 French titles. In 56 Grand Slam singles events entered from 1971 to 1989, Evert fell short of the semi-finals a mere 4 times (1983 Wimbledon 3rd round; 1987 US Open quarter-final; 1988 French Open 3rd round; 1989 US Open quarter-final). In total, of the record 34 Grand Slam finals reached, Evert won 18 Grand Slam singles titles: seven at the French Open (a record held for 26 years until being tied in 2012), six at the US Open (an open era record), three at Wimbledon, and two at the Australian Open (both on grass). In addition, Evert won three grand slam doubles titles, at the French in 1974 with Olga Morozova, and 1975 with Navratilova, and again with Navratilova at Wimbledon in 1976. Evert's overall record in Grand Slam events was 297–38 .887 (72–6) at the French Open, 94–15 at Wimbledon, 101–13 at the US Open (most singles match wins in history), and 30–4 at the Australian Open (never failing to reach the final). Evert faced Navratilova in the final of 14 Grand Slam events, with Evert losing 10 of those encounters. (Navratilova defeated Evert at least once in the final of each of the four Grand Slam events, whereas three of Evert's four wins were at the French Open and the fourth was at the Australian Open.) In their 8 semi-final clashes, their record stands at four wins a piece. Evert defeated Navratilova in the semi-finals of the US Open (1975), Wimbledon (1976 and 1980), and the Australian Open (1988) but lost to Navratilova in the semifinals of the US Open (1981), Wimbledon (1987 and 1988), and the French Open (1987). An interesting footnote, in those semi-final rounds, each player won twice on grass, once on hard, and once on clay. During her career versus selected rivals, Evert was: 40–6 against , 37–43 against , 26–13 against , 24–0 against , 23–1 against , 22–0 against , 22–1 against , 21–7 against , 20–1 against , 19–7 against Billie Jean King (winning the last 11 matches with a loss of only two sets), 19–3 against , 18–2 against , 17–2 against , 17–2 against , 17–3 against , 16–3 against , 15–0 against , 13–0 against Françoise Dürr, 9–4 against Margaret Court, 8–9 against Tracy Austin, 7–0 against , 6–3 against , 6–5 against (winning the last 6 matches), 6–8 against (losing the last eight matches), and 2–1 against . Evert was voted the on four occasions and was the first female athlete to be magazine's sole recipient of "" award in 1976. In April 1985, she was voted the "Greatest Woman Athlete of the Last 25 Years" by the Women's Sports Foundation. Evert served as President of the from 1975–76, and from 1983 to 1991. In 1995, she was the fourth player ever to be unanimously elected into the following a worldwide ballot of 185 sports journalists whilst 1999 saw Evert rated No. 50 among ESPN's Greatest North American athletes of the 20th century. In 2005, named her fourth on its list of TENNIS Magazine's 40 Greatest Players of the TENNIS Era. In 2012, conducted a poll of players and experts to determine the 100 greatest players of all-time, in which Evert ranked ninth overall, and fourth highest among women (finishing behind Graf, Navratilova, and Court respectively.) However, Evert's .900 winning percentage (1,309-145) is the best in pro tennis history, male or female. Personal life Evert was born in , to Colette Thompson and , and raised in a devout family. She is partially of ancestry. Jimmy was a professional tennis coach, and tennis was a way of life in his family. Chris and her sister Jeanne Evert became professional tennis players, and their brother John Evert attended , in , on a full athletic scholarship for intercollegiate tennis. Evert is a 1973 graduate of in Fort Lauderdale. Chris, her brother John and sisters Jeanne and Clare all won titles at the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl in Florida. Her sister Jeanne was the only sibling to win both the Under-12 and Under-14 trophies. Early in her career, before she won her first event, Evert signed a contract with to endorse a line of []. Company president Carl Rosen thought so highly of her that he named a yearling in her honor. The horse went on to win the 1974 , be voted the , and was inducted into the . Evert's romance with the top men's player captured the public's imagination in the 1970s, particularly after they both captured the singles titles at in 1974. Evert and Connors also occasionally played mixed doubles together. In 1974, they were the runners-up at the . They got engaged, when she was only 19, but the romance did not last. A wedding was planned for November 8, 1974, but it was called off. In 1979, Evert married the British tennis player and changed her name to "Chris Evert-Lloyd." After Evert's affair with British singer/actor , the couple separated, yet the couple reconciled and chronicled their marriage in a biography Lloyd On Lloyd co-authored by . The marriage ended in divorce in 1987. In 1984 she had a home at the Sunrise Country Club in . In 1988, Evert married two-time Olympic downhill . They have three sons: Alexander James (born October 12, 1991), Nicholas Joseph (born June 8, 1994), and Colton Jack (born June 14, 1996). On November 13, 2006, Evert filed for divorce. The divorce was finalized on December 4, 2006, with Evert paying Mill a settlement of U.S. $7 million in cash and securities. Evert and Australian golfer were married on June 28, 2008, in the . On October 2, 2009 they announced they were separating after only 15 months. Their divorce was final on December 8, 2009 after 18 months of marriage. Current work Evert operates a tennis academy bearing her name in Boca Raton, Florida. She also helps coach the high school tennis team. She is also a contributor to Tennis magazine in 2009. In June 2011 she joined ESPN as a tennis commentator. Career statistics Records []

[]Time span	Other selected records	Players matched
1974–1979	125 consecutive clay court match victories	Stands alone
1972–1988	17 consecutive years ranked inside the top four	Stands alone
1972–1989	94.05% (316–20) clay court match percentage	Stands alone
1971–1989	90.05% (1309–145) career match winning percentage (all surfaces)	Stands alone
1971–1984	First player to reach 1000 career match wins	Stands alone
1971–1989	First player to reach 150 career tournament wins	Stands alone
1971–1976	First female to reach one million dollars in career prize money	Stands alone

Notes See also References Further reading Amdur, Neil; Evert, Chris (1982). Chrissie, My Own Story. New York: Simon and Schuster.  .  Howard, Johnette (2006). The Rivals: Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova: Their Epic Duels and Extraordinary Friendship. New York: Broadway.  .  (October 13, 1986). "The Sporting Scene: Mainly about Chris Evert Lloyd". 62 (34): 117–145. Tennis for a Better Life Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has the heart to help children around the world reach their full potential in life through the game of tennis. We are driven to provide all the tools necessary for them to achieve their dreams.

Mission Statement: "Helping Children Play Their Way to a Better Future"…"Give a hungry child a meal and he will eat for today, teach him a life skill and he will feed himself and his family for a lifetime"
Paul SegodoIn 2010, Tennis for a Better Life organized an awesome tennis tournament for our juniors. All the trophies, strings, racquets, and all essentials donated by Bruno Setomey and Babolat.We need your to continue running these events for the children.

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Purpose: To provide tennis and education scholarships to children around the world, who are less fortunate, but gifted in tennis.Goals:
Provide tennis equipment and coaching for the children. Organize tennis tournaments and events. Rebuild old and build new tennis courts in the communities for the Children. Provide tennis and academic scholarships for some of the children to come to the United States and Europe.