"What fun" - Martina Navratilova lauds Chris Evert's "brilliant performance" in old SNL parody of locker room outburst after 1982 Wimbledon loss

Martina Navratilova recently expressed her admiration for Chris Evert's outstanding performance as the host of Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 1989.

In November 1989, two months after announcing her retirement from professional tennis, Evert hosted the popular American sketch-comedy show SNL. Her appearance started with a cold open titled "Wimbledon Loss."

Interspersed with clips from her defeat to Martina Navratilova in the 1982 Wimbledon final, the sketch utilized a tongue-in-cheek voiceover lauding Evert for handling the defeat as "the elegant champion she is," only to hilariously reveal her outburst in the locker room.

The sketch depicted the former World No. 1 yelling out in frustration before dramatically breaking her racquet in two. The humor continued as Evert escalated her antics, knocking down the lockers and even ripping the sink out of the wall, all while shouting that she "can't play anymore."

To add to the hilarity, the 18-time Grand Slam champion was depicted operating a forklift in the locker room to carry on with the destruction. The sketch ended on a hysterical note, with her tantrum being interrupted by the arrival of the Queen.

In light of the viral clip capturing Aryna Sabalenka's private outburst after her defeat to Coco Gauff in the 2023 US Open final, a fan humorously shared a clip of Evert's SNL performance on social media.

"Everyone talking about the @SabalenkaA gym episode, and I get that, but @Chrissie Evert was in a whole other league...," the fan posted.

In response, Martina Navratilova lauded Chris Evert's hosting stint on SNL. She also expressed her desire to have hosted the renowned show herself.

"That was a brilliant performance all around by Chrissie on @mncsnl- Saturday Night Live. I wish had had the chance to host too after I retired- what fun that must have been! Right @ChrissieEvert?" Navratilova shared.

"We became best friends through being the biggest opponents ever" - Martina Navratilova on Chris Evert

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova forged one of the greatest sporting rivalries of all time. Over the course of their careers, they won 18 Grand Slams each, a combined 34 doubles Majors, and played 60 finals against each other.

In May 2023, Navratilova looked back on her first meeting with Evert and recalled her excitement over being recognized by the American.

"When I first met Chris and when she said hello to me, I was so excited. In 1973 at Fort Lauderdale, I was walking by and she said, 'Hi,' and I'm like, wow, Chris knows who I am," Martina Navratilova said in a video interview for Tennis Channel.

She also expressed pride at having forged a close friendship with Evert despite their fierce and competitive rivalry on the court.

"We played each other 80 times and then we became best friends through being the biggest opponents ever. So just proud to be half of that partnership," she said.

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert faced each other 80 times on the professional circuit, the most for a rivalry in tennis history. While Evert dominated their rivalry intially, winning 16 of their first 20 encounters, it ended with Navratilova holding a 43-37 winning record.