"We both got cancer at the same time, unbelievable timing" - Chris Evert gets real about friendship with Martina Navratilova

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were rivals during their playing days, but later in life, they found themselves fighting a similar battle that they both ended up winning. Both were tremendous players during their playing days—proper champions—and they proved themselves to be champions later on when Evert was battling cancer.

Navratilova was battling cancer as well, and it gave the two a chance to bond over that rather unfortunate fate. In a recent interview, Evert acknowledged it was good to have somebody to talk with, as the diagnoses lined up (via We Are Tennis):

"Oh. Oh, yeah. I mean, look, if I wanted to be in the trenches with anyone, it would be Martina (laughter). We were in the trenches together, and we were growing closer and bonding over the fact that we would look at each other, and say, how is this happening? We both got cancer at the same time. It was unbelievable timing. We both had it at the same time."

Going through something like that was very tough for both, but having a chance to really connect with each other just allowed them to push each other to get through that, and luckily, through the wonders of modern medicine, they were able to get it done:

"We both were going through chemotherapy and radiation, everything, at the same time. You know, I just think to have somebody that close to me share this experience with, it was really, I think, enlightening, enlightening and cathartic But it was a very positive article on something very, you know, traumatic and bad."

Like Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert is cancer-free today and got to her tennis duties as a commentator and media personality after that diagnosis.

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"I'm not ashamed" - Chris Evert on her cancer battle

The former player was very open about her battle with cancer and never hid it. It's such a personal thing that many tend not to disclose, but she was out in the open, believing it important to talk about:

“I think it made me stronger in the sense of, a stronger sense of myself, and when I spoke, like people were surprised that I was so open about having ovarian cancer. I'm, like, why? I'm not ashamed. It's like women, you know, I want to help women.”

Everything went well for Chris Evert who has since advocated for women to take care of themselves because it can happen to anybody.