Martina Navratilova's wife Julia Lemigova sends love to Chris Evert as American revisits cancer struggles

Martina Navratilova's wife, Julia Lemigova, extended her love and support to Chris Evert after Evert reflected on her battle with cancer. Navratilova, like Evert, is also a cancer survivor.

On December 10, Evert shared a photo of herself with a shaved head, reflecting on her chemotherapy experience. Chemotherapy is a common cancer treatment, often resulting in hair loss as a side effect.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion wrote on Instagram:

"Not so long ago! Grateful for everyday, everything, everyone!"

Lemigova showed her support by reacting with a heart emoji under Evert's post:

Julia Lemigova via Instagram

Evert was diagnosed with early-stage ovarian cancer in 2021, a year after the passing of her sister Jeanne in 2020. Jeanne's illness was detected too late for successful treatment.

After her sister Jeanne passed away, Evert learned through genetic testing that she carried the BRCA1 mutation, which increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Using this information, she chose to undergo preventative surgeries, including a hysterectomy, where her ovarian cancer was detected at an early stage.

The 69-year-old maintained her fighting spirit and completed treatment in 2022. However, her cancer returned in December of the same year, once again at stage 1. While it was detected early, it sidelined her from her broadcasting duties at the 2024 Australian Open. In July, Chris Evert was declared cancer-free for the second time.

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Martina Navratilova was "terrified" after hearing Chris Evert's cancer news

French Open Tennis Tournament. Roland-Garros 2024. - Source: Getty

In September 2024, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert sat down for a conversation in a video for Ralph Lauren, discussing a variety of topics. The latter began by saying:

"Isn't it ironic that with everything we've been through with our career, being rivals and friends, that we happened to get cancer at the same time?

Navratilova confessed that she was "terrified" upon learning about Evert's cancer diagnosis. She shared how she supported her through the difficult time, a gesture that her former rival later reciprocated when she faced her own cancer battle.

"When you were diagnosed it terrified me, and then I supported you, and then, a year later, I get it, and you supported me," Navratilova said.

The Czech-born American then touched on their friendship, saying:

"We always had that, like I knew always that I could call you at three in the morning and say "Chris, I need you", and you would ask "Where are you?"