Tennis legend Chris Evert pulls out of Wimbledon coverage after cancer returns

Danielle Lerner, USA TODAYThu, June 25, 2026 at 4:48 PM UTC

0

When Wimbledon begins on June 29, one of tennis' legendary voices won't be be part of it.

Chris Evert, the 18-time Grand Slam champion who has been an ESPN tennis analyst since 2011, revealed on social media that her ovarian cancer has returned and that she will not cover Wimbledon for the network this year.

"I have already undergone surgery as the first step in my treatment and recovery, and will begin chemotherapy in the coming weeks," Evert wrote in a post shared on X on Thursday, June 25. "Because of this, I will not be attending Wimbledon this year, and I will step back from my professional commitments over the next few months to focus on my health."

Evert was diagnosed with ovarian cancer twice before, in 2022 and 2023, and beat it both times. She said she learned the disease was back after undergoing CT and PET scans this past weekend.

Advertisement

"Ovarian cancer is relentless, but I will stay optimistic and determined in continuing to fight this battle," Evert wrote. "I am deeply grateful to my medical team, my family, friends, and everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon."

On Friday, June 26, Netflix is set to release a documentary called "Chris & Martina: The Final Set," about Evert and Martina Navratilova's simultaneous cancer battles and legendary tennis careers.

Evert retired from tennis in 1989 with 157 career singles titles and 18 Grand Slam singles wins. She has been a fixture of ESPN's Grand Slam event coverage for the last 15 years.

Evert's younger sister Jeanne, who was also a professional tennis player, died from ovarian cancer in 2020.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chris Evert reveals cancer diagnosis, won't broadcast Wimbledon

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”