Emma Brockes, a Guardian columnist, recounts her emotional response to the new Netflix documentary Chris & Martina: The Final Set, which chronicles the lifelong rivalry and friendship between tennis icons Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. The documentary, released ahead of Wimbledon, delves into their transformative impact on women's tennis from the late 1970s onward.
A Rivalry That Defined an Era
Brockes describes Evert and Navratilova as "the most cold-hearted pursuers of greatness that you've ever met in your entire life." Evert, a blonde Floridian, contrasted sharply with Navratilova, who defected from communist Czechoslovakia in 1975. Over the next decade, Navratilova transformed into a winning machine, while Evert remained Brockes's first tennis love, eventually giving way to Monica Seles and Steffi Graf.
The documentary captures their on-court battles, likened to Rocky versus Apollo Creed or Maverick versus Iceman. Navratilova's struggle for sponsorship and crowd favoritism is highlighted, with Evert being her only friend—a friendship that cost Navratilova dearly until her girlfriend at the time urged her to "kick her ass."
Homophobia and Tennis
Brockes notes the homophobia that plagued tennis, with Evert sponsored by Rolex while Navratilova struggled for endorsements. At the 1984 US Open finals, Navratilova faced booing from the crowd, leading her to question, "I don't know if it's because I'm gay or from a communist country, but I'm American. And I'm a good person. And you guys are hating on me." She won the tournament, but the hurt lingered for decades.
Brockes recalls her grandfather's snide remarks about Navratilova's physique during a Wimbledon final, revealing the underlying prejudice. "I was not yet 10 at the time but, in the way children know things long before they know them, I remember thinking, with a sinking heart, oh, so there's that," she writes.
Cancer Battles and Enduring Friendship
The documentary also covers the two champions' simultaneous cancer diagnoses: Evert with ovarian cancer, Navratilova with throat and breast cancers. Incredibly, cameras captured them in hospital settings, including a moment when a nurse called out "Christine Evert?" prompting Brockes to want to shout at the screen. Despite their illnesses, the pair's bond remains strong, with Evert joking, "If I didn't have a bum shoulder, I'd kick your ass."
Navratilova's final winning singles appearance at Wimbledon in 1990, where she secured her ninth title, earned her a one-minute-40-second standing ovation in 1994. Brockes concludes that watching these legends at 69 and 71, bald from chemo and still fighting, is deeply moving.
