For our sixth annual Heroes Issue, we’ve selected passages from the last 50 years of Tennis Magazine and TENNIS.com—starting in 1969 and ending in 2018—to highlight 50 worthy heroes. Each passage acknowledges the person as they were then; each subsequent story catches up with the person, or highlights their impact, as they are now. It is best summed up with a quote from the great Arthur Ashe, that was featured on the cover of the November/December issue of this magazine in 2015: “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”
It’s not easy being a pro tennis player. Oh, sure, there’s a lot of glamour and travel and, if you’re really good at it, plenty of money to be made. But you pay a price. Everything you do is scrutinized. And when Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi or Venus and Serena Williams pull out of a tournament or decide not to play Davis Cup or Fed Cup, that’s when the groans start. They’re being difficult. They’re being selfish. They’re not giving back. Well, there’s a side to the story a lot of people don’t know about. And why? Because the players do many of their good deeds when the cameras are off. I’m talking about charity work. –Chris Evert / March 2002
On the court, Chris Evert was known for her determination. For nearly two decades on the WTA tour, the relentless baseliner wore down her opponents with her textbook, metronomic groundstrokes and steely resolve to the tune of 18 Grand Slam singles titles and more than 1,300 match wins. She also served as president of the WTA for two different stints (1975–76, 1983–91).
Being so dedicated to her career left little time for Evert to indulge in other pursuits. But just a month after playing her last pro match in 1989, she was hosting the first Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic in Boca Raton, FL.
“I always wanted to have my own charity program,” says Evert, “but there just wasn’t time when I was playing. I did not want to do it in name only—where I wouldn’t be active in organizing and overseeing it.”
A proud homegrown Floridian, Evert decided to make a difference in her own backyard. Each year she pairs Hollywood stars with some of the game’s greats for a tennis and entertainment weekend held in southern Florida to raise money for at-risk children. Evert joined forces with
The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, which helps distribute donations from the event to programs that address social problems such as substance abuse by pregnant or parenting women. Since 1990, the state of Florida has pledged to match, dollar for dollar, all funds Evert’s charity donates to The Ounce. In November, the charity will hold the 29th annual Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic, looking to crack $25 million in funds raised.
Drug abuse tears apart families and is a national epidemic that is right here in our community,” says Evert. “When I meet the people who are benefiting from our work, it gives me the drive to continue.”
And when Chris Evert dedicates herself to something, she can be relentless.