Unmatched

The first time Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova stepped onto a tennis court together, the world scarcely noticed. Only a few hundred spectators saw the pert 18-year-old beat the scrappy 16-year-old Czech in 1973. “I remember that she was fat,” Evert recalled. “She was very emotional on the court, whining if she didn't feel she was playing well. But I remember thinking, if she loses weight, we’re all in trouble.” Said Navratilova, “My goal was for her to remember my name.” Eighty matches later – amid the extraordinary growth of women’s tennis – Evert not only remembered, but became a tried and true friend and confidante, remarkable considering the two appeared to be polar opposites in upbringing, life styles and personal relationships. Through a series of personal conversations, filmmakers Nancy Stern and Lisa Lax, along with producer Hannah Storm, will tell the story of one of the greatest one-on-one sports rivalries and capture these two extraordinary athletes’ views on tennis and an ever-changing world.

I avdelningen episk rivalitet genom idrottshistorien finns det få som bräcker Chris Evert och Martina Navratilova som dominerade tennisen på 1970- och 80-talet. Under 16 år spelade de 80 matcher mot varandra, att jämföra med exempelvis Borg-McEnroe som möttes 14 gånger. Men trots den stenhårda konkurrensen om tennistronen växte en varm vänskap fram under åren.