Chris Evert: Hall of Fame Induction Speech, 1995

[@jaseayathorai3762]

Chris Evert was not only a graceful tennis player, but a graceful person demonstrated by her speech.❤️

[@ursulamullikin4723]

I felt lucky to watch Chris play tennis since I live in Fort Lauderdale never missed a game, remember when Martina first started playing her when she came to the US

[@janeboylan-odowd159]

CHRIS EVERT if Fort Lauderdale tennis..in fact Chris is what every tennis player should aspire to...a class act! #vivalevert

[@RobertDeMartin]

She is one of the greatest athlete's who has ever lived in our great Country. Before you disagree, like she said, "I got the job done!" And, btw, she is also one of the finest people we have ever come across and just the mention of her name brings that half smile to our faces, an indication of how much we feel for her. Btw, a half smile means besides the joy we have in our heart for that person we are also very PROUD of that person. And that certainly applies to how we feel about Chris. The younger players should watch film clips of Chris playing against players much more powerful than her yet she neutralized them by keeping them back on the base line and often times out maneuvering them and it they did come to the net, well, advantage Chris Evert!

[@BTURNER1961]

Her atleticism was less 'showy'. She was never the fastest or strongest, but she was always up there among the fastest and the strongest. But there are other attributes. She had impecccible balance. Whether its static (standing)or dynamic (on the run) balance we are measuring, you never see Evert off balance when she strikes the ball. Its one of the secrets behind the precise and steady baseline play. The ball goes where she intends it to for 10 or 20 strokes, because the racket is always right where its supposed to be and the racket face is exactly where it is supposed to be. That requires that the legs, the trunk and the head be where they are supposed to be. Now think about hand/eye coodination or more broadly, kinesthesia which is the sense of self-movement, force, and body position. There is no greater test of the entire physical and motor system from the eye through the brain, straight to the limbs, wrist and hand than the millisecond reaction needed to return a tennis serve across the court, over the net (but not too high over the net ) and direct it just out of reach of an incoming volleyer and then get that ball to drop just within those lines. Evert had the best in the sport for 17 years.

[@RobertDeMartin]

Thanks for your wonderful comments. I focused on more about who she was (and is) as a person and you included her force on the court. What is another factor we should never forget is when Martina arrived on the scene Chris gave it all she could but it became apparent both players were going in opposite directions. But Chris was so very gracious during those tough days and eventually they became very close friends later in life. Again, thanks again. To say she was elegant on the court is an understatement. But always with a ferocious desire to succeed. @@BTURNER1961

[@willmacintyre649]

The most gracious winner, the most gracious loser, and the most gracious lady tennis player.

[@janeboylan-odowd159]

..of all time!! Class personified.

[@jl3322]

She looks terrific.

[@DavidJohnson-yq4nz]

Outstanding champion

[@tabscoobrealestate6061]

elegante, inteligente, gran estilo, gran campeona, primera numero 1 mundial, gran numero 1

[@eastfiftyseven]

Lovely speech. I actually happened to be in Newport and saw her hitting with Bush on the outside courts during the men’s final that weekend.

[@paulvon2378]

class act

[@JoseSalazar-pl7oj]

❤❤❤

[@davidandtom8238]

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!! WE GOT TO MEET CHRISSIE AND PRESIDENT BUSH.

[@RahulPatel-wn8gv]

Who was the first major opponent u beat? Chris Evert n thenonn i never ever lost to her... Who else but the grand dame of tennis - Martina- the French Open .. Was she wearing specs then? Oooh that's interesting thing u aks Jim, ... i heard murmurrs of her failing eyesight in the locker room n the club... And nxt yr she beat me at Wimbledon. i aksed her "how many more titles u wanna win"? And her response? Nine! She had begun wearing specs, Jim n came back with a great bang again!!! Aah specs!!! like MAK? Who M A K? Nawab of Bhopal - who damaged one of his eye in London in a car accident n was replaced by Goat's eye, sooh they report... Oooh yeaah yeeaah now i remember... he was married to a famous film star n was reputed be a great fielder n prolific batter! Periscope magic, Steffi? What's that Jim? U forgot Stefi, its no more in use but in WW1 it was used largely by those in submarines to view objects on surface... No wonder Martina n Chris alwayz talked of their tennis career as tht of being in trenches, Jim! And this periscope was used by soldiers in trenches, if am not wrong... yeeah, law of reflections! Two mirrors placed at an angle of 45 degrees n voillaah, one can view thru' any n every obstacles in sight n around the wall.... Clear line of sight, Jim! And u know how many Wimbledons she won? Nine ! And our head to head win losses too was 9 :9 !!! Now i remember Jim, Chris talkin of telephoning her father, Jimmy n informing him of winning the Wimbledon title just like that at the age of 16! Wasn't he watching the match in person or on TV? They used to tape the match n relay it later or maybe that day the broadcasters had a relaying issue! Again like in the 1983 cricket WC - qualifying rounds! Haryana lads hurricane 175 no agnst Zimbabwe was not relayed!!! And sooh was the B-ratna' cricketors debut match against the exyremely friendly Islamic neighbourhood too was not relayed, where at the age of 16 he reportedly was injured! Sooh the "mainstrm - media" reported! Why do all these snafus happen only in London, Steffi? Only Martina n Chris would know, Jim!!!

[@lenwelch2195]

Her admiration for Bush bothers me because of the lack of morals when Bush worldview was put in to action . Ends don’t justify the ends that’s a Roman Catholic stand by. You don’t decide what government or what religion is best for other people across the globe should be unless they sit on oil I guess then we do it in the name of God . God doesn’t care who has the most money in the end , cares what kind of people you turned out to be , what moral standards do you follow . By the way, Chris turned herself in to a great athlete while at the same time her eagerness started to wane . Playing the Seles’s Maleevas , Sanchez vicarios became boring for her - she no longer found pleasure trading endless ground strokes with girls half her age . She started her career beating grand slam winner 1970 Margaret court winning at age of 15 7-6,7-6 meaning she won mentally . Her last professional win in a sanctioned tournament - 89 open was beating Seles who she had beaten before but had lost 6-4 in third set in Houston on clay the previous April . Beating Seles at 89 open 6-0,6-2. Those two bookends from 15-34: 19 years on tour . Seles won the Open by beating Martina who had beaten a top form Graf in sf in 1991. So Chrissie played and beat two top legends in the game to open and close her career. It would’ve been fun to watch every play Martina in Sf but Martina was at the zenith of her abilities and emotionally I didn’t really want Chris to suffer yet another loss to Martina in a slam when Chris was short of gas - not talent or ability but at 34 the consistancy was unpredictable . She had put so much of her 34 yr old self in the seles match she was flat agsinst Zina a player she had bestenn10 times and lost to her once during a tournament that due to rain delays and playing doubles found Chris playing 5 hrs a day for each of the last 3 days . Up 3-0 in first set barely won more points exhausted . Only time in Chris’s career that I noticed she lost due to exhaustion . Like a pro she completed the final match . Chris is a first rate person with class . She pushed herself and always had a hard time understanding why others on the tour didn’t work as hard as she did .

[@chrismanteris9093]

Would have been better without the war monger bush