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Chris Evert celebrated her 69th birthday on December 21, 2023. On that note, rivals turned friends from the WTA Tour, Tracy Austin and Billie Jean King, took to social media to wish their compatriot.
Widely considered among the greatest tennis players of all time, Chris Evert won 21 Grand Slam titles, 18 in singles and three in doubles. She also holds the record for the most French Open titles won by a woman (seven), followed by Steffi Graf.
Additionally, Evert held the World No. 1 ranking for a record 260 weeks and finished the year atop the WTA Rankings seven times (1974–78, 1980, 1981). Evert and Martina Navratilova dominated the women's game between 1970s and 1980s.
Tracy Austin, who played Chris Evert 17 times during their professional careers, extended a heartfelt wish to the 69-year-old on her birthday, describing her as a "class act."
"Sending my friend and class act a big happy birthday hug! Sending positive thoughts, love, and support your way on your special day," Austin wrote on her X (formerly Twitter) account.
Billie Jean King, who played Evert a whopping 26 times during their professional career, also chimed in with a birthday wish for her "dear friend and tennis legend."
"Today is our dear friend and tennis legend @ChrissieEvert's birthday. Please join me in sending her some cheer, love, and support on her special day," King posted on X.
Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, and Billi Jean King have a total of 32 Grand Slam singles titles between them. Apart from playing each other multiple times on the circuit, the trio won two Fed Cup titles together in 1978 and 1979 with the United States.
Austin and Evert famously locked horns at the 1979 US Open final, which the former won 6-4, 6-3. Austin made history that day, becoming the youngest US Open female singles champion, a record that remains intact even today.
Chris Evert and Billie Jean King played each other 26 times
Chris Evert and Billie Jean King, considered by many as the pioneers of women's tennis, played 26 times during their playing days. Evert leads their head-to-head with 19 wins, while King has seven wins.
The pair played each other in a Grand Slam final once at the 1973 Wimbledon Championships, where King defeated her younger opponent to successfully defend her title.
Some of their most memorable matches against each other include the 1971 US Open semifinal, 1975 Wimbledon semifinal and the 1983 WTA Championships final.
