"Champions on and off court": Monica Seles awestruck by Martina Navratilova's special gesture to Chris Evert during French Open trophy presentation

Monica Seles lavished praise on Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert as she was left awestruck by the Czech-born American's gesture for her friend. The duo presented the trophies at the 2024 French Open.

The 2024 French Open final saw Iga Swiatek triumph 6-2, 6-1 over Jasmine Paolini to win her fifth Grand Slam title and her fourth in Paris. The match was largely one-sided, with the Pole always in control.

At one point, the World No. 1 won 10 straight games and was leading 6-2, 5-0 before Paolini held her serve to escape a bagel. Swiatek then held her serve to win the 2024 French Open.

The American duo of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert presented the trophy to the champion and the runner-up. However, the latter revealed that at first only the former was invited, but she urged Evert to join her as it was the 50th anniversary of the American's first French Open title.

"So, I presented the Roland Garros winner's trophy last year, @Martina was asked to present this year. Since it was the 50th Anniversary of my first win, she asked me if I would join her in presenting...Generous and thoughtful, that's my friend Martina!" Evert wrote on X.

Seles was impressed with the heartfelt gesture and replied:

"2 Champions on and off the court #legends."

Seles burst onto the tennis scene as a 16-year-old, when she won the French Open in 1991 and became the youngest-ever champion. She made history as the only player to hold three consecutive French Open and Australian Open titles.

The American was often touted to be the most accomplished tennis player, but she could not fulfil her potential as she became a victim of an on-court stabbing in 1993 by a Steffi Graf fan.

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert: Bitter rivals turned friends

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert at the 2023 WTA Finals

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert were each other biggest rivals during their playing days but became an unlikely support for each other as both were diagnosed with cancer.

Evert told The Washington Post in 2023 that they were the last two players left in the locker room on many occasions and hence have seen each other in their most vulnerable state, which helped them develop an organic friendship.

"80 times we were the last two standing in the locker room and one of us would be happy at the end of the match and one of us would be sad and one of us would be confronting the other. And that's when I saw her at her highest and her at her lowest. And I think because we saw each other that way, the vulnerable part, I think that was, like, that's another level of friendship," Chris Evert said.

They both retired from tennis with 18 Grand Slams each.