Chris Evert has been battling ovarian cancer since December 2021. She has been in remission twice, but, unfortunately, she announced on Thursday that the cancer has returned. Because of this, she will be skipping being a commentator for Wimbledon 2026.
The 18-time Grand Slam winner, and one of the better players to ever pick up a racket, announced the news on social media. She has always been a transparent person. As a player, she wasn't demonstrative on the court and played with a coolness that helped her maintain her focus on a match.
The same approach might be happening in her fight against cancer. She certainly won't give in easily, and, just like her tennis opponents, she will be aggressive in what happens. Evert will never give up.
Chris Evert announces her ovarian cancer has returned
She wrote on social media, in part, "I have always believed in being open and honest about my health journey. This past weekend, after undergoing CT and PET scans, I learned that my ovarian cancer has returned. I have already undergone surgery as the first step in my treatment and recovery, and will begin chemotherapy in the coming weeks."
Her health clearly being the priority, she said she will "step back" from coverage of the grass-court major that begins on Monday, June 29th. The icon has worked for ESPN for many years, and clearly, the hope is that she will continue to do so in the future.
After receiving her first diagnosis of ovarian cancer in late 2021, she received a second diagnosis in July 2023. In July 2024, she revealed she was in remission. While the latest diagnosis is obviously a setback, one would hope that soon Evert will once again announce she is in remission.
Chris Evert was ranked No. 1 atop the WTA top for 260 weeks total, fourth-most behind other legendary players Steffi Graf (377 weeks), Martina Navratilova (332), and Serena Williams (319). Evert was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995, six years after she retired from playing the sport professionally.
She has remained a popular figure among tennis fans and has offered exceedingly good insight during Grand Slam events. Her presence will be missed during Wimbledon 2026, but obviously, the hope is that she feels healthy enough to return in 2027 and well beyond.
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