Chris Evert sends message to Martina Navratilova, her 'great friend and rival', on American great's 68th birthday

Chris Evert penned a heartfelt note to her "great friend" Martina Navratilova on her 68th birthday. Once fierce rivals who dominated women's tennis in the 1970s and 1980s, the two have since developed a close and beautiful friendship after retiring from the sport.

On October 18, Navratilova turned 68, and her close friend Evert was quick to wish her a happy birthday. Evert took to X (formerly Twitter) and posted an image of herself with Navratilova along with a beautiful birthday message that read:

"Happy birthday to my great friend ⁦(and rival!) ⁦Martina Navratilova who always has my back and continues to inspire me with her strength and resilience. Love our friendship," Chris Evert wrote.

Evert and Navratilova shared one of the most iconic rivalries in tennis history, dominating the women’s game from the mid-1970s through the 1980s. Their battles were legendary and they faced each other 80 times between 1973 and 1988, with Navratilova holding a narrow edge, winning 43 of those matches.

When it came to the grandest stage, they met 14 times in Grand Slam finals, with Navratilova winning 10 of those encounters. Their first Grand Slam final came at the 1975 French Open, where Evert triumphed. However, Navratilova eventually took control of their rivalry in major finals.

After their playing careers, the American duo became close friends, and the pair have talked about their heartwarming friendships on multiple occasions.

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Chris Evert shares how "generous of a friend" Martina Navratilova is with a story from their French Open appearance this year

Chris Evert (L) and Martina Navratilova (R) presented Iga Swiatek with the 2024 French Open trophy (Image: Getty)

At the 2024 French Open, Iga Swiatek defeated Jasmine Paolini to win her third title in a row. The finalists were awarded their trophies by Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

In an August interview, Evert shared how she was not initially on the list of trophy presenters for the French Open, but Navratilova made sure she was included because it was a special year for her.

"I have to be honest, I was not on the roster to present that trophy on this big 50th for me. Martina was on the roster and when she heard it was my 50th anniversary, she quickly went to the French federation and said, 'Chrissie has to present this with me, it's her day too.' So, that's how generous of a friend she was and we both got to present which was great," Chris Evert said (0:30).

It was the 50th anniversary of Evert's first French Open title, which was also the first of her 18 singles Grand Slam titles.

Evert and Navratilova grew even closer during their respective battles with cancer, offering each other support throughout the difficult recovery process. Their shared experiences with the disease deepened their bond.