"I need to live every darn day to the fullest": New freedom for former tennis star Chris Evert after ovarian cancer ordeal
Chris Evert (via Getty Images)
Tennis great
Chris Evert
, a retired world No. 1 and 18-time Grand Slam singles titlist, recently shared that her battle with ovarian cancer has radically transformed her perspective on life and self-expression.
Diagnosed twice with stage 1 ovarian cancer, Chris Evert is now cancer-free and is leveraging her platform to promote awareness, genetic screening, and living life on her terms.
Chris Evert speaks out about her fight with cancer and how it redefined her voice and purpose
Chris Evert's experience with ovarian cancer was defined by tragedy, caution, and strength. Having already lost her sister Jeanne to the disease, Chris Evert was tested genetically and determined to be a carrier of the BRCA-1 mutation. After a preventative hysterectomy in 2022, physicians found stage 1 ovarian cancer through routine pathology.
Although the cancer came back, it was once more detected early on and effectively treated.
Now 69, Chris Evert is in remission for the second time. "Before this period of my life, I used to be wary of image and speaking out. Now I just say what I want to say, and that is an attitude that sets you free. If I am well informed and educated on a subject and I have an opinion, then I like to use my voice to speak out," Evert recently explained.
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That's the attitude that's given her not only confidence but also a mission: empowering women to know their risk factors, to get genetic testing, and to take their health into their own hands.
How an unexpected cancer diagnosis finally set Chris Evert free: "I used to be wary... Now I just
Although Evert promotes early awareness, experts warn against a misconception: that there is an "early test" for ovarian cancer. As reported by the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA), no screen is yet effective in detecting the disease in its earliest stages among the general population.
Rather, professionals highlight genetic testing and preventive surgeries, particularly for high-risk patients with BRCA mutations.
Dr. Gillian Hanley, associate professor at the University of British Columbia, points to the singularity of Evert's case: 'She would never have been symptomatic,' says Hanley. 'There's no screening method that would have picked that up. The only reason that cancer was diagnosed is because her fallopian tubes were removed and then they were very, very carefully analyzed by a pathologist… and that doesn't occur outside of the case of a BRCA mutation.
'
No early detection for ovarian cancer—but knowledge is power
Ovarian cancer is uncommon, occurring in approximately 1 in 87 women during their lifetime, but tends to be diagnosed late because it has insidious symptoms. As opposed to popular belief, the CA-125 blood test and transvaginal scans are not effective for early detection. A UK clinical trial in 2021 on a large population showed that existing screening practices do not lower mortality.
This is why medical experts now focus on prevention through genetic testing and risk-reducing surgeries like salpingectomy (removal of the fallopian tubes), especially during unrelated pelvic surgeries.
'So again, we're not saying that your regular woman on the street needs to go in and have this elective surgery,' said Sarah DeFeo of OCRA. 'But we know that hundreds of thousands of women are having surgery every year anyway, for a different reason, where they could take the opportunity to take out their tubes at the same time, potentially. It's something that they should talk to their doctor about, and it's something that doctors should be thinking about.
'
DeFeo also encourages women to realize that family background counts on both sides. BRCA mutations are also inherited from fathers, so it is important to know your full genetic history.
"It does change you when you have a battle like this and I do think about whether my cancer will come back from time to time, but what I think about more is that I need to live every darn day to the fullest. You know, I'd better start doing only things that I want to do and only things that make me happy.
That's the way I think now," Evert said. "When you have lived through an experience like this, you appreciate that every day is precious.
You just don't know what's around the corner and the reality is you have no control over it. So live every moment. This feels like a second chance for me, no doubt about it. Sometimes you have to sink to the lowest depths and get to a point where you wonder whether you will get through something like cancer to change your mindset," she said.
Also read:
Serving love: Top 5 Grand Slam romances that you probably didn't know about
Chris Evert's survival story proves that by pushing women to venture into genetic testing and make informed choices, Evert has discovered a purpose greater than any championship medal.
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
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