Chris Evert is facing yet another battle with ovarian cancer. At 71, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion just announced that recent CT and PET scans confirmed the disease has returned for a third time. She already went through surgery in Florida and will start chemotherapy shortly.
This news forces her to step away from commentating for ESPN at Wimbledon, an event she has covered for two decades.
It is a devastating development for her family, friends, and millions of fans. But Evert's battle highlights a brutal truth about ovarian cancer that doctors wish more women understood. It is a quiet, aggressive disease that rarely gives up without a massive fight. Evert called the disease relentless. She is right.
The Grim Math of Ovarian Cancer Recurrence
When Evert was first cleared of the disease after a 2021 diagnosis, her medical team estimated only a 10% chance of the cancer coming back. Yet here we are. It returned in late 2023, she beat it back again by mid-2024, and now it is back in 2026.
Her experience looks like an anomaly on paper, but the broader statistics tell a much darker story. According to data from the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, roughly 70% of women diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer will experience a recurrence.
The disease hides. Microscopic cancer cells can survive surgery and standard platinum-based chemotherapies, lying dormant in the pelvic cavity until they begin replicating again. Each time the cancer returns, treating it becomes a more complex puzzle as cells develop resistance to prior therapies.
Evert's sister, Jeanne Evert Dubin, died of the exact same disease in 2020 at age 62. Jeanne's death is actually what saved Chris's life initially.
How Genetic Testing Alters the Timeline
Jeanne's diagnosis prompted the family to look deeper into their genetics. Chris Evert discovered she carried the BRCA-1 gene mutation. This specific genetic variance vastly increases a woman’s risk for both breast and ovarian cancers.
Armed with that knowledge, Evert had a preventative hysterectomy in late 2021. During that surgery, doctors discovered a malignant tumor in her left fallopian tube. It was stage 1C.
Without that genetic testing, Evert would not have had that surgery. She wouldn't have known anything was wrong. Ovarian cancer is notorious for staying silent until it reaches stage 3 or 4, where the survival rate drops significantly.
To lower her risks further after her first bouts with the disease, Evert also underwent a preventative double mastectomy in 2022. She did everything right. She took every medical precaution available. Her current situation shows that even with world-class care and early detection, ovarian cancer demands constant vigilance.
The Power of the Ultimate Support System
You don't survive a recurring monster like this alone. Evert has noted that her bond with her legendary on-court rival, Martina Navratilova, changed completely during their post-retirement years.
Navratilova has faced her own public battles with cancer, overcoming both breast and throat cancer diagnoses. The two spent decades trying to destroy each other on tennis courts, but they spent the last few years supporting each other through oncology wards. Navratilova quickly went public after Evert's announcement, calling her a "champion of champions" and declaring that she will slay this monster again.
What You Should Do Right Now
Evert's primary goal in staying public with her medical chart is simple. She wants other women to pay attention. You can take immediate action based on her journey.
- Map your family history: Talk to your relatives. Find out if there is a history of breast, ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer on either side of your family.
- Ask about genetic counseling: If you see a pattern of these cancers, ask your doctor for a referral to a genetic counselor. A simple blood or saliva test for BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 mutations can change your preventative care strategy completely.
- Listen to your body: Ovarian cancer symptoms are notoriously vague. Persistent bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, feeling full quickly when eating, and urinary urgency are all warning signs. If these symptoms last for more than a few weeks and are new for you, see a gynecologist. Don't let a doctor dismiss it as regular aging or irritable bowel syndrome.
Evert is sitting out Wimbledon to focus entirely on her health. Her optimism remains intact, but her situation is a stark reminder that staying ahead of this disease requires proactive action before symptoms ever appear.
