Sisters death from ovarian cancer led to early detection for tennis legend Chris Evert

Amna Nawaz:

Seven French Open titles, 18 major championships in all. Became the first player, male or female, to win 1,000 singles matches. And to this day, holds the record for the second most career wins, behind Martina Navratilova.

Evert grew up in a tennis family in Florida. Her dad taught all the kids to play on public courts. Now 67 and herself the mother of three sons, Evert spent most of her life in the white-hot spotlight. She became known for her tough, seemingly unemotional outer shell. But nothing, she says, could have prepared her for the loss of her sister, Jeanne Evert Dubin, who played on the tour with Chris for a while.

Jeanne's ovarian cancer was detected late. She lived for two more years and died in 2020. Jeanne had tested negative for the harmful variant of the BRCA1 gene, but her blood was stored in a lab, in case knowledge or data of new variants became available and as genetic testing evolved.

Two years after her death, Jeanne's blood tested BRCA-positive, a warning bell for possible ovarian or breast cancer predisposition in the family. A call from her doctor took Chris Evert's life down an unexpected path, ovarian cancer, but caught early, stage 1C.

Today, Evert is back courtside as a commentator for ESPN, coaching and mentoring the next generation. We talked about her journey, her health, and what's ahead.

It's been three months since you finished your chemotherapy. How are you feeling today?

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