Chris Evert Reports Recurrence of Ovarian Cancer as Netflix Documentary on Her Rivalry and Friendship with Navratilova Releases

Two Champions, Two Diagnoses

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova dominated women's tennis for roughly two decades. Each won 18 Grand Slam singles titles. For most of that time, they were each other's hardest obstacle.

Their first match was in Akron, Ohio, in 1973. Evert was 18, Navratilova 16. Evert won, but she came away with a clear read on what was coming. "When this young girl gets into better shape, she is going to be a force to be reckoned with," Evert recalled, according to NPR. "She had so much talent. Her hands were quick, she had a big first serve, she had a big forehand, and she just was so powerful."

Navratilova, born in communist Czechoslovakia, defected to the United States on the same day she lost a U.S. Open semifinals match to Evert in 1975. Her game kept improving after that. The early friendliness between the two faded as their rivalry sharpened.

Rivals to Friends

In retirement, the dynamic reversed. The competition was gone; the respect remained, and grew into something genuine.

"Playing Chris was difficult because how can you not like Chris?" Navratilova told NPR. "She was like the epitome of cool."

What cemented the friendship, unexpectedly, was illness. Evert was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021. Navratilova was diagnosed with both throat cancer and breast cancer in 2022. Two people who had spent their careers trying to beat each other suddenly found themselves dealing with the same kind of fight at roughly the same time.

"I can't get away from her," Evert said. "We had a 15-year career, and then we got cancer at the same time. It really is freaky, but I always say: If I want someone to be in the trenches with me, it's Martina because she has been so supportive and so understanding."

Navratilova described the friendship in terms of trust. "We have such a level of trust that we know whatever we say to each other, it stays there. We give each other the best advice we know how to. And there is no ulterior motive, no playing games."

The Documentary

Netflix produced a documentary, "Chris & Martina: The Final Set," covering the arc from rivalry to friendship and through both cancer diagnoses. At the time their interview for the film was recorded, both women were in remission.

That changed before the film reached a wide audience. According to NPR, Evert disclosed late last week that she had recently been diagnosed with a recurrence of ovarian cancer.

The timing is stark. A documentary built partly around two champions beating cancer now arrives while one of its subjects is facing the disease again.

What Evert's Recurrence Means

Navratilova noted in the NPR interview that "Chris' diagnosis and treatment was much more life-threatening than mine, percentage wise, but my treatment was more difficult physically." Evert described the physical toll of chemotherapy plainly: "The chemo kicked my butt, let's put it that way. ... It left me very weak, very, very weak. After chemo I would have three or four days of intense nausea and I just would feel tingling in my body and it just wasn't nice. I didn't have the energy. To walk six blocks was a big deal for me."

Evert has not, as of the time of this writing, disclosed specifics about the stage or current treatment plan for the recurrence.

The Broader Context

Some may argue that a Netflix documentary framing two celebrities' cancer journeys risks softening public understanding of how brutal ovarian cancer is for patients without Evert's and Navratilova's resources, public platforms, and access to elite medical care. The concern is legitimate. Most women diagnosed with ovarian cancer don't have the support network, financial security, or media visibility that can accompany a high-profile diagnosis. Their experience navigating the disease is not typical, and a documentary that leans heavily on their friendship and resilience could inadvertently suggest cancer is more manageable than it is for the average patient.

That concern doesn't cancel the documentary's value. The story of how two fiercely competitive athletes built a genuine friendship through shared adversity is real and worth telling. Public figures speaking openly about ovarian cancer, a disease that is frequently diagnosed late and carries a high mortality rate, adds to overall awareness. The gap between their experience and an average patient's deserves acknowledgment.

What Comes Next

Evert has not announced a timeline or treatment details for the recurrence. Whether her diagnosis affects the documentary's promotional rollout or how Netflix frames the film going forward is an open question as of today.