"Everybody counted me out" - Chris Evert recalls shutting down critics after iconic French Open win over Martina Navratilova

Chris Evert has revealed the 'most special' victory of her career. The triumph, which came in the 1985 French Open, snapped Evert's 13-match losing streak against Martina Navratilova.

During an interview with We Are Tennis published on Friday, February 7, Evert was asked about the most special trophy among the many she had won throughout her career.

The interviewer also brought up an interesting trend among champions, noting that many, including Stefan Edberg and Jim Courier, admitted to storing their trophies away in boxes rather than displaying them.

Evert responded in a similar fashion, revealing that she wasn’t entirely sure where most of her trophies were. However, she mentioned keeping three replicas of her Wimbledon trophies in her dining room and a few French Open replicas in her office.

The 70-year-old ended her response with:

"Did you ask me what my favorite win was?"

The interviewer replied:

"Yeah. What was the most special?"

Evert reflected on a victory that carried immense personal meaning.

"I think the '85 French, beating Martina. Yeah, I think, gosh, I think because I could feel emotions. I allowed myself to feel emotions after the match, I think because everybody had counted me out and thought I'd never win another major, and I beat Martina after 13 losses in a row," Chris Evert said.

Evert acknowledged that the victory was particularly meaningful because, for once, she allowed herself to fully embrace the moment.

"I allowed myself to be proud of myself, and I allowed myself to feel joy about it," she said.

The 18-time Grand Slam Champion went on to explain that throughout her career, she rarely took the time to celebrate wins.

"I'd win a major, I'd be happy for a second, and then the next day I was thinking about my next tournament... I didn't realize or experience the joy, because I thought that I would lose sight of my career, I might lose the momentum and I might lose the motivation if I just really enjoyed that one win. I wanted to keep going," Chris Evert added.

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Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova met each other in 22 Grand Slam matches, including four French Open finals

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert at the French Open 2024 - Source: Getty

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova dominated the WTA Tour in the 1970s and 1980s, battling each other 80 times throughout their careers, with 60 of those encounters taking place in finals.

In Grand Slam events, they met 22 times, with Navratilova holding a 14-8 edge. Of those, 14 were finals, where Navratilova again had the upper hand, winning 10-4. However, Evert dominated their French Open final showdowns, winning three of their four title matches in Paris.

Evert once led their rivalry 30-18 after her triumph at the 1982 Australian Open, but she then suffered 13 consecutive defeats to Navratilova, all in finals, before finally breaking the streak in the 1985 French Open final. Eventually, Navratilova overtook Evert, finishing with a 43-37 lead in their head-to-head.

Despite their fierce on-court battles, the two American legends have become close friends in recent years. They have supported each other through personal struggles, including their battles with cancer.