"I didn't feel comfortable with people staring at me" - Chris Evert recalls how father Jimmy helped 'protect' her emotions

Chris Evert has always spoken openly about the impact her late father, Jimmy, had on both her personal life and career. She once again credited him for teaching her how to "protect" her emotions through his advice.

Jimmy was a well-known tennis coach and former professional player, with his best Grand Slam performance being a third-round finish at the 1942 US Open. He later became the longtime tennis director at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

He coached Chris Evert and her siblings, playing a key role in shaping her into one of the greatest tennis players of all time, who has 18 Grand Slam titles and numerous other achievements to her name. In addition to her, he also coached the likes of Brian Gottfried, Harold Solomon, and Jennifer Capriati.

In a recent interview with We Are Tennis, Chris Evert recalled how her father advised her not to show any emotions during the early stages of her career. He believed that displaying emotions would give her opponents an advantage.

"When I was a kid, my dad taught me not to show my emotions," she said. "He pretty much spearheaded that, 'Don't show your emotions, because you don't want your opponent to see how you're feeling. They'll use that to their advantage.' It came easy to me, though, because I'm not a real, like, vibrant, emotional person anyway. I'm more introverted than extroverted anyway."

The American added that she simply wanted to keep her life private, as she felt uncomfortable with people staring at her or talking about her. This aligned perfectly with her father's advice.

"I'm a private person. People that know me know my personality, know that I'm not I can be outgoing, I can be funny. You know, there is a lot of characteristics that the public doesn't see. But I just wanted to protect myself. I didn't want everybody to know everything about me, you know, and I didn't feel like that comfortable with people looking at me and staring at me and the attention. I honestly didn't feel that comfortable with it," Chris Evert said.

A look into Chris Evert's remarkable career

Chris Evert pictured at the 2024 French Open | Image Source: Getty

Chris Evert is one of the greatest tennis players in history. She won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 260 weeks, leaving a lasting impact on the court.

Evert won her first major at the 1974 French Open and went on to capture at least one Grand Slam title for 13 consecutive years—an Open Era record. She was nearly unbeatable on clay, winning seven French Open titles, but also found success on other surfaces, claiming six US Opens, three Wimbledons, and two Australian Opens.

The American retired in 1989 with 157 career titles and a remarkable 90% win rate. Even after leaving the court, she has remained a major influence on the sport, mentoring young players and offering insightful analysis.