It was in the early 1970s that Christine “Chris” Marie Evert stepped onto the court and changed the trajectory of women’s tennis forever through nothing but her sheer charm and raw talent. In fact, not only did she earn the moniker of Ice Princess owing to her feminine look and fiercely composed demeanor, but she also proved to be one of the most successful players of all time. This much has even been explored in Netflix’s ‘Chris & Martina: The Final Set,’ which primarily chronicles her lasting friendship and intense rivalry with fellow athlete Martina Navratilova.
How Did Chris Evert Earn Her Money?
As the daughter of an ever-supportive mother and a passionate tennis coach father, Chris Evert grew up playing the sport from an early age since it was essentially a way of life in the family. She was reportedly just 5 years old when her father, Jimmy Evert, began giving her structured lessons, only for her to have such determination and natural skill that she quickly climbed to the top. She ranked #1 in the Under-14 female category in the US by the time 1969 rolled around, shortly following which she made her senior tournament debut and made it all the way to the semifinals.
Chris subsequently trained harder, enabling her to conquer the 16 & Under National Championship in 1970 before also securing an invitation to an exclusive clay-court tournament. Her performance there at the age of 15 was so impressive that it led to her selection for the US Wightman Cup Team, making her the youngest player ever to compete in this event. It’s thus no surprise she managed to make her Grand Slam debut at the tender age of 16 at the 1971 US Open, but it wasn’t until a year later in 1972 that she officially turned professional.
Chris’ first pro year was quite impressive as she won the Australian Open Singles Title and the WTA Tour Finals Singles Title, helping her prove her mettle among the best of the best. She defended the latter in the ensuing season after also winning the US Open Doubles Title, only for 1984 to be even better as she pushed her athleticism to the limit for a record of 100-7. This included a then history-making winning streak of 55 consecutive matches, during which she dominated the French Open Singles, French Open Doubles, and Wimbledon Singles.
Therefore, of course, Chris ended the 1974 season as the World #1 Woman Tennis Player, a position she held onto until 1978, when her friend/rival Martina Navratilova took it from her. She regained it in 1980 and 1981 before losing it to Martina all over again, with records indicating they maintained the rank for over 14 years between them throughout the 1970s-1980s. During this period, the all-American girl next door won 22 Grand Slam Singles and Doubles Titles, along with at least an additional 130 top-level Singles Titles across the globe.
Chris dominated the Australian Open Singles in 1982 and 1984; Australian Open Doubles in 1988; and the French Open Singles 6 more times in 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, and 1986. She also won Wimbledon Singles in 1976 and 1981; Wimbledon Doubles in 1976; US Open Singles 6 times from 1975-1978, 1980, and 1982; and US Open Doubles in 1975 and 1979. Moreover, she won the WTA Tour Singles twice more in 1975 and 1977 before representing the US in the Federation Cup for 6 consecutive years from 1977 to 1982, in 1986, and in 1989.
In the end, after almost two decades on the tennis court as a professional competitor, Chris chose to hang up her shoes with a career record of 157 Singles Titles and 32 Doubles Titles. She subsequently spent a few years just enjoying herself before deciding to step back into the world of tennis under a completely different light. After all, in 1996, she and her brother, John Evert, launched the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida, to help youngsters learn the sport in a way that facilitates overall growth. Since then, she has also been dabbling as a publisher/writer for Tennis Magazine, a broadcaster for a variety of networks, and an entrepreneur with her own line of atleisure and apparel.
Chris Evert’s Net Worth
With Chris’ almost 2 decades as a professional athlete, the sponsorships she did throughout those years, and her current standing as an analyst/broadcaster, it’s safe to say she is wealthy. That’s because the former President of the Women’s Tennis Association (1975-1976 and 1983-1991), the Philippe Chatrier award recipient, and the Hall of Fame inductee officially accumulated close to $9 million ($8,895,195 to be precise) through her prize money alone. As if that’s not enough, in an interview sometime in the late 1980s, she candidly admitted she had bagged a sum likely more than all her prize money from brand deals and sponsorships. So, taking all these factors into account, along with her non-profit Foundation, philanthropic work, continued broadcasting opportunities, potential assets, investments, returns, expenses, cancer treatment funds, and more, we estimate her net worth to be in the range of $20 million.
Read More: Keegan Bradley’s Net Worth: How Rich is the Professional Golfer?
