"When I was 14, Chris Evert was taking me to yoga on weekends, when I was 16 and 17, I was talking to her about boys" - Ajla Tomljanovic

Ajla Tomljanovic has spoken warmly of her close relationship with former World No. 1 Chris Evert.

Evert dominated women's tennis for much of the 1970s and 1980s and won 18 Grand Slam titles, including a joint-record six US Open titles (tied with Serena Williams). She topped the WTA ranking charts for 260 weeks and was the year-end World No. 1 seven times (1974–78, 1980, 1981).

Since retirement, Evert has taken up several roles in the tennis world, including that of a commentator and an analyst. She has also worked closely with Tomljanovic, who called the former American star her mentor and friend.

Tomljanovic shed light on her relationship with Evert, stating that while the world looks at the 68-year-old as a legend of the sport, to her she was just 'Chrissie'.

“Everyone knows Chris Evert. She’s such a legend, but to me, she’s just Chrissie. She was the person who, when I was 14, she was taking me to yoga on weekends. When I was 16 and 17, I was talking to her about boys. Now that I’m an adult, we’ve created this bond that is so nice. The fact that she can help with my tennis is almost a huge bonus for me,” Tomljanovic told Tennis Channel.

Tomljanovic has spoken about their close relationship several times in the past. During the Wimbledon Championships last year, she spoke about how Evert was in touch with her throughout 2022 and their love for each other

“We’ve been in contact a lot, actually over the past few months we’ve been talking more than ever. She’s been there for me, like, this year a lot. It’s been so nice. We love each other, so we were there for each other in that way,” she said in a press conference after her win against Alize Cornet.

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Ajla Tomljanovic defeats Panna Udvardy, reaches 2023 US Open 2R

Ajla Tomljanovic in action at the 2023 US Open.

Ajla Tomljanovic began her 2023 US Open campaign with a come-from-behind win against Panna Udvardy on Monday, August 28.

The first-round victory in New York was hugely significant for Tomljanovic, as it was her first match of the year after a nine-month-long struggle with a knee injury. Despite Udvardy being just two points away from forcing a third-set tiebreaker, the Australian dug deep to register a confidence-boosting 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win.

Tomljanovic later spoke about the importance of returning to action and enjoying the moment, even if she ended up losing the contest.

“I have a lot of videos I took of myself rehabbing and talking to the camera because I wanted to have proof of what it felt like. At this stage in my career, going through an injury like this, it’s very different,” she said at a press conference.

“Even today, after losing the first set, I thought this crowd is awesome. I would not want to be anywhere else. Even if I didn’t come off with the win, I’ve been working for this. Just this two hours of pure adrenaline, joy, and problem solving and competing. I’m blessed in that sense,” she added.

The 30-year-old will return to action on Wednesday, August 30, when she faces 2022 Wimbledon champion and fourth seed Elena Rybakina, who defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-1 in her opening match.