Legendary tennis player Chris Evert on
Friday announced that she has been diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer.

“I feel very lucky that they caught it
early and expect positive results from my chemo plan,” Evert, 67, wrote in a
statement shared on Twitter. “Thanks to all of you for respecting my need to
focus on my health and treatment plan.”

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Evert, who won 18 grand slam titles, said
she would “appear from home at times” to cover matches of the Australian Open
as a commentator of ESPN. The Australian Open is starting Monday.

The 67-year-old opened up about her ovarian
cancer in an essay co-written by her longtime friend, ESPN journalist Chris
McKendry, also shared Friday. Jeanne Evert Dubin, sister of Evert, died aged 62
in 2020 of ovarian cancer.

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 “I’ve lived a very charmed life. Now I have
some challenges ahead of me. But, I have comfort in knowing the chemotherapy is
to ensure that cancer does not come back,” said Evert, who retired from
professional tennis in 1989 after winning a stunning 18 Grand Slam singles and
three doubles titles.

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“As someone who has always had control over
my life, I have no idea how I’ll respond to chemotherapy,” the mother-of-three
added. “I have to give in to something higher.”

Evert is placed fifth on the all-time grand
slam winners’ list with 18 grand slam titles. The chart is led by Margaret
Court who has won 24 titles. Serena Williams currently has 23 titles and she
still holds a chance to break Court’s record. Steffi Graf won 22 majors while
Helen Wills Moody won 19.

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Evert turned professional when she turned
18 on December 21, 1972. Just four years into her professional career, Evert
became the first female athlete to earn $1 million in career prize money.

She also became the first female athlete to
host “Saturday Night Live,” in 1989, the same year she retired. Six
years later, Evert became a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame,
becoming the fourth player to be elected unanimously.

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Evert holds 157 singles titles and was
ranked No. 1 in the world for seven years: 1974 through 1978, 1980 and 1981.

She became a commentator and analyst for
ESPN in 2011, a role she still holds today. Evert has three sons: Colton,
Nicholas and Alexander.