Champions' Cancer Fight
Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova Document Their Joint Cancer Battles, Evert Faces Relapse
Just days after her cancer returned for a third time, Chris Evert's new Netflix documentary about her cancer battle — and her legendary friendship with Martina Navratilova — hit screens worldwide. ESPN reported that Evert underwent exploratory surgery on June 21–23, 2026, after scans showed abnormal results. Doctors confirmed the cancer had spread to her abdomen. She then announced she would skip her Wimbledon commentary duties to begin chemotherapy.
The 96-minute film, *Chris & Martina: The Final Set*, premiered globally on Netflix on June 26, 2026 — one day after Evert went public with the news. WTA reported that a special screening was held at Wimbledon the same day, where director Rebecca Gitlitz read a message from Evert to attendees. Evert wrote: "Ovarian cancer is relentless, but I will stay optimistic and determined in continuing to fight this battle."
A Rivalry That Became a Deep Friendship
Evert and Navratilova played each other 80 times between 1975 and 1987. Navratilova won 43 of those matches; Evert won 37. Sixty of those 80 matches were tournament finals, WTA noted. Each player won exactly 18 Grand Slam singles titles. During that stretch, the two held the World No. 1 ranking for all but 23 weeks, according to POV Magazine.
Their public images were polar opposites. Evert was the poised "Ice Maiden" from Florida. Navratilova was the bold defector from communist Czechoslovakia. The Guardian reported that media of the era often framed their competition as a "catfight" rather than elite sport. The documentary aims to correct that, showing how fierce rivals became close friends.
Three Cancer Diagnoses in Five Years for Evert
Evert's cancer journey began in December 2021. Doctors found Stage 1 ovarian cancer during a preventative hysterectomy. She had chosen the surgery after her sister Jeanne died from the same disease. Evert finished treatment and was declared cancer-free. Then, in December 2023, the cancer came back, The Independent reported. She went through chemotherapy again and was cancer-free by July 2024.
Navratilova faced her own crisis in late 2022 and early 2023. Doctors diagnosed her with Stage 1 throat cancer and early-stage breast cancer at the same time, according to WTA. She has since reached remission. When Evert's third recurrence was announced, Navratilova posted on social media: "My friend Chrissie is a champion of champions... she will slay this monster again."
Three Years of Filming Caught the Story Changing
Director Rebecca Gitlitz, a two-time Emmy winner, spent three years following the two women. POV Magazine described the film as a "meditation on mortality and friendship." The cameras captured Evert during her second round of chemo in 2023. They also filmed the two women watching their classic matches together for the first time. The project started as a sports retrospective and became something much more urgent.
The film features interviews with Billie Jean King and John McEnroe. It was inspired by a 2023 *Washington Post* feature by journalist Sally Jenkins, according to Netflix. The world premiere took place June 10, 2026, at the Tribeca Festival in New York City, Tribeca Festival reported. Gitlitz told the Wimbledon audience that Evert insisted the screening go on without her, saying her illness "magnifies the message" of the film.
Critics Praise the Film but Question Its Polish
Reviews have been mostly positive. April Neale called it "profound... a meditation on time and mortality," as noted by POV Magazine. The tennis world rallied around Evert too. Former World No. 3 Pam Shriver wrote: "You beat me 18 straight times; therefore, you can beat cancer 19 straight if you have to."
Some critics pushed back on the format. The Guardian and others argued that the film's high production values and polished archival footage can feel at odds with the raw, painful reality of abdominal surgery and chemotherapy. The concern is that a neat Netflix profile-doc structure softens an experience that is anything but neat. Still, Evert's recurrence — arriving just as the film dropped — has sparked wide new attention around ovarian cancer screening and the BRCA gene, a cause she has championed since 2021, The Independent noted.
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