Chris Evert

Christine Marie "Chris" Evert (born December 21, 1954), known as Chris Evert-Lloyd from 1979 to 1987, is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships and three doubles titles. She was the year-ending World No. 1 singles player in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, and 1981. Overall Evert won 157 singles championships and 32 doubles titles.

Evert reached 34 Grand Slam singles finals, more than any player, man or woman, in the history of professional tennis. She reached the semifinals or better, in singles, of 52 of the 56 Grand Slams she played, including the semifinals or better of 34 consecutive Grand Slams entered from the 1971 US Open through the 1983 French Open. Evert never lost in the first or second round of a Grand Slam singles tournament. In Grand Slam singles play, Evert won a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six at the US Open (since tied by Serena Williams in 2014).

Evert's career winning percentage in singles matches of 89.96% (1309–146) is the highest in the history of Open Era tennis, for men or women. On clay courts, her career winning percentage in singles matches of 94.55% (382–22) remains a WTA record.

Chris Evert (horse)

Chris Evert (February 14, 1971 – January 8, 2001) was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse.

Background

Carl Rosen (1918–1983), owner of clothing manufacturer Puritan Fashions Corp., purchased the filly at a Keeneland yearling sale. He named her for the tennis player Chris Evert, whom he had signed to endorse his company's line of sportswear.

Racing career

Chris Evert began racing at age two. Of her five starts, she won four and finished second in the other. At age three, she dominated her class, winning the U.S. Filly Triple Crown and earning the Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Filly.

In 1974, Aaron Jones, the owner of West Coast based filly Miss Musket, issued a challenge to Chris Evert's owner for their horses to meet in a match race. Miss Musket's record included winning the Hollywood Oaks, and her confident owner offered to put up $100,000 if Chris Evert's owner would match it. Hollywood Park Racetrack offered another $150,000 to the winner-take-all race that they would host and would bill as the Hollywood Special Stakes. Rosen accepted the offer for a match race to be held on July 20, 1974. Chris Evert won by 50 lengths, the large purse significantly contributing to her becoming 1974's leading money earner in U.S. Thoroughbred racing.