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Ariana Brockington
Trending News Reporter
Tennis legend Chris Evert has shared that her ovarian cancer has returned for the second time.
In a statement posted on her Instagram on Thursday, June 25, the 71-year-old athlete, who was first diagnosed with the same cancer in 2022, revealed that she has already undergone surgery.
“I have always believed in being open and honest about my health journey. This past weekend, after undergoing CT and PET scans, I learned that my ovarian cancer has returned,” she wrote in her statement.
Following her surgery, the next step in her treatment is chemotherapy.
“Because of this, I will not be attending Wimbledon this year, and I will step back from my professional commitments over the next few months to focus on my health,” she wrote. Evert, who won an impressive 18 majors during her career before retiring, has been working as an analyst for ESPN since 2011. She was expected to provide commentary for Wimbledon 2026, which begins June 29, before providing the health update.
Evert said she is trying to maintain a positive outlook.
“Ovarian cancer is relentless, but I will stay optimistic and determined in continuing to fight this battle,” she added. “I am deeply grateful to my medical team, my family, friends, and everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement.”
At the end of her statement, she wrote, “I look forward to seeing everyone again soon.”
Members of the sports media, fellow former tennis players and fans sent well wishes in the comments.
Martina Navratilova, close friend and 18-time major champion who was diagnosed with cancer, left an encouraging message. She wrote, “My friend Chrissie is a champion of champions and as such she will slay this monster again. We are all pulling for you, and know you will come out on the other side cancer free again- lots of love, m.”
Evert and Navratilova appeared together on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle on June 11 to chat about their new Netflix documentary, “Chris: Martin: The Final Set.” The film unpacks their rivalry, the highlights of their careers and how the two friends were both diagnosed with cancer within months of each other.
“There’s no competition of whose cancer was worse. We’re in the same boat,” Navratilova said in the documentary. Navratilova was previously diagnosed with throat and breast cancer.
During their appearance on the show, Evert and Navratilova both told Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones that they were “cancer-free.”
Speaking about their diagnoses, Evert said, “As an athlete, you feel like you have control over your own game and control over the match to some circumstance. But with cancer, you have no control. So you have to surrender.”
She said that she “surrendered to a higher power” and focused on her resilience. Evert called the experience “humbling.”
“Because you are not special,” she continued. “It doesn’t matter if you are number one in the world at something. You are just like everybody else, and millions of people go through even worse (than) what we went through. It just puts you in that feeling that you’re one of many.”
At the time, Evert told Sheinelle that she has to get a CAT every three months because she had cancer twice. She also gets bloodwork done monthly and takes chemo pills.
Evert first shared that she was diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer in January 2022. She said doctors “caught it early” and that she already had a “chemo plan” in place. She told fans she would cover the 2022 Australian Open from her home at times.
A year later, she penned an op-ed for ESPN.com and said she was “cancer-free.” She also revealed that she had a double mastectomy after discovering she had the BRCA-1 variant. She underwent genetic testing after her sister Jeanne found out she had the BRCA-1 variant, too. Jeanne died in 2020 from ovarian cancer.
“I held my breath while I waited for my pathology results. Luckily, the report came back clean and clear, and my risk of developing breast cancer has been reduced by more than 90%,” Evert wrote, adding that she would also have one more surgery to complete reconstruction.
But later that year, her cancer returned. In a statement shared with ESPN in December 2023, she said, “While this is a diagnosis I never wanted to hear, I once again feel fortunate that it was caught early.”
She wrote that she underwent a robotic surgery after receiving a PET CT scan, leading to doctors finding cancer cells in her pelvic region. She had the cells removed and started chemotherapy.
“I will be unable to join my colleagues when ESPN makes its return to Melbourne for the Australian Open next month. But I’ll be ready for the rest of the Grand Slam season!” she said at the time. “I encourage everyone to know your family history and advocate for yourself. Early detection saves lives. Be thankful for your health this holiday season.”
Ovarian cancer is the second most common form of gynecological cancers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 21,010 women will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 2026.
Treatment for ovarian cancer typically depends on the stage, but it can include chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, targeted drug therapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy, according to the American Cancer Society.
Ariana Brockington is a trending news reporter at TODAY digital. She is based in Los Angeles.
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