What Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova did after playing the French Open final which would never happen today

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Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova enjoyed a legendary rivalry on the WTA Tour.

They contested 13 Grand Slam finals and 80 total matches against each other.

Navratilova won their major final head-to-head, 10-4, and their overall head-to-head 43-37.

They played several classic matches at the French Open, including four finals (1975, 1984, 1985, 1986).

During a 2010 interview with ‘women’s tennis blog‘, Evert revealed what she and Navratilova did after the 1975 final, which simply wouldn’t happen in the modern game.

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova went out for dinner after playing the 1975 French Open final

“I remember the French Open in the late 70s, Martina Navratilova and I played in the finals, we practiced together, we played our match, and we went out and had dinner afterwards,” said Evert.

“We had more of a close relationship, and we didn’t have a lot of other people around us, but nowadays I don’t think the players are as close.

“It’s such a big business, big prize money, they have their agents, their masseuses, they have a lot more people in their entourage, and don’t really mix with each other like we did.

“We had more camaraderie in our day.”

Evert didn’t think all change was bad, however, as she noted the two ways tennis had changed for the better since her playing days.

“What I see as an improvement in this day and age is probably the power in the game,” she said.

“Much more power due, largely to the equipment, is different than in my day.

“Also, the women, I think, are better athletes. When I say better athletes, I mean the training, scientifically, is much more intense than it was 20, 30 years ago.

“We did most of our training on the court; nowadays, they’re doing a lot of off-court training, not only physical training, but mental training. I think those two aspects are better.”

Tennis has certainly changed a lot over the years, but Evert and Navratilova still rank among some of the greatest players of all time…

Who is the greatest women’s player of all time?

When discussing the greatest of all time on the ATP or WTA Tours, it’s hard to look past the Grand Slam count.

Australia’s Margaret Court leads the way with 24, but rightly or wrongly, there is often an asterisk attached to her tally, as 13 of her Grand Slams were won before the Open Era began.

Serena Williams is next up with 23, and is many fans’ pick in the G.O.A.T. debate.

Is Serena Williams the greatest tennis player of all time?

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But there’s more to tennis than the four Grand Slams, and several other metrics, such as weeks spent at number one, can help provide a fuller picture…

It’s Germany’s Steffi Graf who has spent the most weeks ranked number one in the world, with 377.

Another useful measure, ‘Most WTA titles’, sees Navratilova and Evert rise to the top.

The pair both surpassed 100 titles during their career, playing over 200 finals.

Numbers can help you reach a conclusion, but the reality is that the G.O.A.T. debate is subjective.

There are arguments to be made for several WTA legends to be considered the greatest tennis player of all time, and that’s what makes the sport so great.

Perhaps some of today’s stars, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, or Coco Gauff, will one day be included in those debates,