'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAACnUCt//8QAIRAAAQMEAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwECBAAFBhITBxEhcrL/2gAIAQEAAT8A6pZUa2RIdpHHRecJ5HM0itVqh0Vv1UXMWSIwTktjNyMR7tS+O6p61//EABcRAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAiH/2gAIAQIBAT8AnLZ//8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECMv/aAAgBAwEBPwC8I//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chris Evert's mother Colette once shared how she felt "badly hurt" when her daughter ignored her in public.
Evert is regarded as one of the greatest female tennis players of all time, with 18 Grand Slams under her belt, among her many accomplishments. She was born on December 21, 1954, to Jimmy and Colette in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her father served as her tennis coach in the early stages of her career and they are said to have shared a love-hate relationship.
According to her mother Colette, Chris Evert took after her father as she was more reserved, unlike her big sister Jeanne, who resembled their mother more closely. Colette told Sports Illustrated during an interview in 1976:
"Chris hated excess. She thought it was wrong to kiss in public, or to cry. Crying was a sign of weakness. She was always dainty, peace-loving. Never had to be scolded. If three of the kids fought for a toy, Chris was the first to give in."
Colette also expressed how "badly hurt" she was when the seven-time French Open champion started ignoring her in the presence of other players, fearing she would be perceived as a "mama's girl."
"I knew I was becoming a fixture. I tried to stay in the background. I really did. But it was a stage of my own life as a parent when I wasn't sure what to do," Colette said.
"Chris started ignoring me when the other players were around. She didn't want to seem like mama's girl. I was hurt, badly hurt. But I understood," she added.
Chris Evert: "My mother and I were never friends"
Chris Evert reflected on her relationship with her mother Colette, describing it as never reaching the level of friendship but remaining typical of a mother-daughter dynamic.
Tensions arose between them, particularly when the 18-time Grand Slam champion attempted to sneak off with her then-boyfriend Jimmy Connors — a move that did not sit well with her mother.
"I really got to hate my mother always being around," Chris Evert said (via the aforementioned source). "My mother and I were never friends. She was just a, well, mother, tending to my ways. I must have been awful to live with that summer. For one thing, I was playing badly. The girls were losing respect for me."
"I'd come back to the room at night and want to go out with Jimmy, and there would be—my mother. I'd say to myself, 'Why are you here?' But I didn't want to leave her alone. Oh God, I'm so glad that period is over," the American added.
Colette Evert died in 2020 at the age of 92 and her death broke her daughter Chris' heart.
"Last Thursday, my mom, Colette, passed away. My heart is broken as she was the the sweetest and kindest mom and person ever...At 92, it was her time, and she went peacefully and gracefully... RIP mom," the former World No. 1 wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
