Martina Navratilova grew emotional during a BBC broadcast at Wimbledon while discussing Chris Evert's latest cancer diagnosis. The panel conversation took place during analysis of the women's semifinal between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova.
Navratilova said on air that Evert's ovarian cancer had returned for a third time. She stated the news had arrived just before the tournament began.
“She will be OK,” Navratilova said. “It’s tough, I cannot talk about it without crying because we just found out before the tournament that the cancer came back, but she will be OK. She’s tough as nails.”
Evert had announced the relapse shortly before Wimbledon and confirmed she had already undergone surgery. Chemotherapy was scheduled to start soon after the announcement.
Both players have supported each other through prior cancer battles. Navratilova overcame breast cancer in 2010 and again in 2023, plus throat cancer.