ESPN’s tennis analyst Chris Evert has announced that she will miss the Australian Open in January after receiving a second cancer diagnosis.
- Evert announced her diagnosis on her X account, issuing the following statement:
- “Since I was first diagnosed with cancer two ears ago, I’ve been very open about my experience. I wanted to give all of you and update. My cancer is back. While this is a diagnosis I never wanted to hear, I once again feel fortunate that it was caught early. Based on a PET CT scan, I underwent another robotic surgery this past week. Doctors found cancer cells in the same pelvic region. All cells were removed, and I have begun another round of chemotherapy. I will be unable to join my colleagues when ESPN makes its return to Melbourne for the Australian Open next month. But I’ll be ready for the rest of the Grand Slam season! I encourage everyone to know your family history and advocate for yourself. Early detection saves lives. Be thankful for your health this holiday season.”
- Evert was initially diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022.
- Evert was one of the most accomplished tennis players in history before she joined ESPN in 2011 as an analyst.
- She was voted the AP Female Athlete of the Year four times and in 1985 was voted the Greatest Woman Athlete of the Last 25 Years by the Women’s Sports Foundation.
- Evert is also the mother of three boys and yet she has remained close to the game, operating a tennis academy bearing her name in Boca Raton, Fla.,
- She also writes a column for Tennis Magazine.