Chris Evert's ex-husband recalls her self-doubt before matches: "I said 'Do you realize the other girl is not sleeping because she's got to play you'"

Chris Evert's ex-husband and former British No. 1, John Lloyd, has revealed that the former often grappled with self-doubt before her matches.

Lloyd was the first of Evert's three husbands. The couple tied the knot in 1979 and eventually divorced in 1987. During their marriage, Lloyd gained an intimate insight into the 18-time Grand Slam champion's pre-match preparations and mindset.

On the latest episode of the 'Rock n Roll Tennis' podcast, Lloyd disclosed that the former World No. 1 struggled with bouts of anxiety before her matches, even when competing against less challenging opponents in the earlier rounds of tournaments.

"I wanted to ask that because I'm fascinated by obviously great players and what their feelings are, what they feel about. And obviously when I was married to Chris Evert and was coaching her, the same thing as what you said, I was amazed sometimes before a match when she would be really worried about someone," he said (at 25:30).

"And I'm talking about in the early rounds of these matches where I knew 99.9%, unless she tripped over, there was no chance that she could lose this match and yet she was worried about it," he added.

The Brit recalled reassuring Chris Evert by telling her that her opponent was likely enduring a sleepless night over the prospect of facing her the following day, giving the American an edge before the match had even begun.

"And I said exactly the same thing. It's not rocket science, I kept reinforcing it. I said, 'Do you realize, Chris, that the other girl right now is not sleeping because she's got to play to you tomorrow. When she steps on that court tomorrow, you're already up 3-0 before you start. So take care of business on your side of the court trust me, you'll have no problem,'" he said (at 26:00).

"As soon as Chris Evert got on the court, she was mind-boggling" - John Lloyd

Chris Evert

John Lloyd went on to express amazement over Chris Evert experiencing self-doubt despite her exceptional skills and confidence on the court. He stated that it made him contemplate whether he would harbor similar doubts if he possessed her level of skill.

"And it amazed me actually, not the lack of confidence because as soon as she got on the court, she was mind-boggling. But I thought to myself, if I was that good, would I have had those doubts? And it was just interesting to see," he said (at 26:18).

In other news, Evert recently announced that her ovarian cancer has resurfaced, forcing her to step away from ESPN's Australian Open coverage. She expressed relief at her early diagnosis and revealed that she had started chemotherapy.

The American received an outpouring of love and support from the tennis community following her announcement. Several players, including Novak Djokovic, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, extended their best wishes to the former World No. 1.