Tennis legend Chris Evert announced that she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer on social media. Read the article to know everything about her disease condition.
She opened up about her disease on Twitter by linking in an article she co-authored with ESPN journalist Chris McKendry.
“I wanted to share my stage 1 ovarian cancer diagnosis and the story behind it as a way to help others. I feel very lucky that they caught it early and expect positive results from my chemo plan,” Evert said in a statement. ” … And thanks to all of you for respecting my need to focus on my health and treatment plan. You will see me appear from home at times during ESPN’s coverage of the Aussie Open.”
Chris McKendry wrote of learning about her friend’s cancer diagnosis in an ESPN article. “It was short, simple, and yet so damn complicated”. She recalled getting a text from the tennis star that said she had a malignant tumor in her fallopian tube adding that she had to undergo surgery before starting chemotherapy.
“I read the text five times before it sunk in,” the journalist said. At first, Chris needed more information as well as privacy to process it. She also needed to physically recover from two surgeries. “She needed to tell her story in good times and bad. Christie has already owned her story. So here we are”. The article also adds that Chris Everts’ stage 1C ovarian cancer is an early stage
In the article on ESPN, Chris Evert says that a malignant tumor was discovered during a preventive hysterectomy early last month. A second operation revealed that cancer had been removed during the hysterectomy and had not spread. Following her chemotherapy, her doctor said that there was a better than a 90 percent chance that cancer would never return. “I don’t remember being that happy in years”. Evert said after she got the news from her doctor.
Evert, won 18 Grand Slam singles championships and three doubles titles and was the year-end world number one singles player seven times. She was unanimously inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995. Her singles titles included two Australian Open championships, seven French Open titles, three Wimbledon victories and six US Open titles.
Included in the 18 Grand Slams were three back-to-back championships (1974-75, 1979-80, 1985-86) at the French Open and four straight championships at the US Open (1975-78). Evert also won three Grand Slam doubles titles during her professional tennis career. Overall Chris Evert won 157 singles titles and 32 doubles titles.
Chris Evert’s younger sister and former pro tennis player Jeanne Evert Dubin died after a battle with ovarian cancer in 2020 at the age of 62. Dubin’s cancer had spread before it was detected. “When I go into the chemo, she is my inspiration. I will be thinking of her and she will get me through it” Evert wrote in the article remembering her sister.
“I’ve lived a very charmed life,” Evert, 67, said in the article. “Now I have some challenges ahead of me. But, I have comfort in knowing the chemotherapy is to ensure that cancer does not come back. As someone who has always had control over my life. I have no idea how I will respond to chemotherapy. I have to give in to something higher”.
She asked people “ Be your advocate and know your family history”. She also asked to have total awareness of your body and follow your gut and be aware of the changes. “ Don’t try to be a crusader and think this will pass,” she continued.
