Updated June 23rd, 2022

Tennis Legend Chris Evert, 67, Lets HBO Cameras Film Her Chemo Treatments And Shows Off Her Wigs As She Bravely Fights Ovarian Cancer

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Understanding ovarian cancer

Chris Evert, the holder of 18 Grand Slam tennis titles, says her sister’s death from ovarian cancer ultimately led to her own life being saved.
After undergoing chemotherapy, Evert is cancer free and doctors say there is a 90 per cent chance the disease will not return.
Ovarian cancer is often not caught early enough to be completely eradicated. In Evert’s case, genetic testing and early screening likely enabled her doctors to catch the cancer early enough to save her life.
Ovarian cancer will likely claim the lives of almost 13,000 American women in 2022.

For over 15 years, Chris Evert battled opponents on the court. Now, the 18-time Grand Slam winner is opening up about her fight against ovarian cancer.

Evert, who won 157 singles titles over her career, recently completed chemotherapy. In a remarkable new interview with HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, she spoke about how nothing could prepare her for the disease.

"In tennis, you can control a situation a lot better," she said. "This type of situation, you can’t control. Thousands and thousands of people have cancer. I’m just like everybody else."

For the segment, which airs on Tuesday night, reporters and crew for Real Sports were able to film Evert as she received treatment, including chemotherapy. She also also spoke candidly about the effects the cancer has had on her personal life, showing the camera crew the collection of wigs she had put together.

In an upcoming segment for HBO Real Sports, Mary Carillo and crew filming my 5 th chemo! One more to goðŸ™ Know your family history, everyone â¤ï¸ pic.twitter.com/BgLRjIbQYS
Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) April 21, 2022

During the segment, Evert also discussed how her doctors were able to catch the cancer early because of genetic screening the champion underwent after her sister’s death from the same disease. She first disclosed her diagnosis earlier this year.

"My sister’s death saved my life," she said.

What You Need to Know About Ovarian Cancer

Early stage ovarian cancer often goes undiagnosed due to a lack of symptoms.

While according to Everts doctors, there is a 90 per cent chance her cancer won’t return, many women aren’t so lucky. Almost 20,000 American women are likely to receive a diagnosis of ovarian cancer this year and over 12,800 will die of the disease, according to Cancer.org statistics.

The disease is the fifth deadliest cancer for women, mainly developing in older women. While there may not be immediate symptoms, as the cancer develops signs can include bloating or swelling in the abdomen, weight loss, fatigue, back pain, changes in bowel habits such as constipation and a frequent need to urinate, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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