Christine Evert, born on December 21, 1954, is the former #1 American tennis player, often regarded as one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. She was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School. During her time at St. Thomas, Evert was a three-time state champion in singles and a two-time champion in doubles at the FHSAA state championships from 1970-1972. Evert officially became a professional in December of 1972 on her 18th birthday. Over the next 17 years, she won 1,309 matches in her career including 18 Grand Slam titles, 157 Singles titles, 3 Wimbledons, 7 French Opens, 2 Australian Opens, and 6 U.S. Opens. She won at least 1 Grand Slam Singles title which is the accomplishment of winning all four major championships-the championships of Australia, France, Britain, and the United States-in the same calendar season for 13 consecutive years (1974-1986); a record in both mens’ and womens’ tennis. In 1976, she was the Sports Illustrated “Sportsman of the Year” and the first ever female athlete in one of their television commercials.
Evert has earned many achievements and holds a record for 125 winning matches from 1973-1979. She received the Flo Hyman Award in 1990 from President George H.W. Bush. She also received the ITF Philippe Chatrier Award during the French Open in 1997. Evert was named the #1 women’s tennis player for seven years and named one of the “Greatest Women Athletes in the Last 25 Years” by the Women’s Sports Foundation in 1985. Evert received the Women’s Tennis Association’s Player Service Award three times, and was honored with the March of Dimes Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993. Additionally, she was named one of ESPN’s Top 50 Athletes of the 20th Century in 1999. After her retirement, Evert served as a board member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and as the president of the Women’s Tennis Foundation. Evert is a member of the National High School Sports, Florida Sports, International Tennis halls of fame, and the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame.
