"I couldn't ask for a better mentor/ friend" - Chris Evert thanks Billie Jean King for her kind words on anniversary of becoming first-ever WTA No. 1

Chris Evert warmed the hearts of tennis fans on Friday with a delightful message sent to tennis legend Billie Jean King thanking her for being a great mentor and friend.

King had earlier taken to Twitter to shower praise on Evert on the 47th anniversary of her becoming the first-ever No. 1-ranked player on the WTA tour.

"Proud to call this legend, this champion, and this fighter my friend. Thinking of you, Chris Evert," King wrote.

Chris Evert went on to hold the No. 1 spot for a total of 260 weeks. The 67-year-old won 18 singles Majors during her career, which is the fifth-best in women's history. She won the second-most singles title in history (157), just 10 behind Martina Navratilova, and was the first woman to cross the 150 mark.

Evert responded to King's tweet by saying she couldn't have asked for a better mentor and friend.

"Love you, Billie Jean King I couldn't ask for a better mentor/ friend!" Chris Evert wrote.

"Good luck to the next generation of tennis" - Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King recently conveyed her wishes to the participants of the 2022 Davis Cup Juniors and Billie Jean King Cup Juniors.

"Good luck to the next generation of tennis. These juniors are so much fun to watch," she tweeted in response to a video by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) .

The tournaments got underway in Antalya, Turkey, on November 1. Sixteen teams in both the boys' and girls' competitions will compete to find the next junior world champions.

The ITF had earlier released a fun video on Twitter to mark the occasion.

"Ready to rule the world," the video was captioned.

Billie Jean King won a total of 39 Grand Slam titles during her illustrious career and is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987. The Fed Cup and Fed Cup Juniors were renamed the Billie Jean King Cup and Billie Jean King Cup Juniors in honor of the legend.

About the author

Gautham's passion for tennis paved his path to a career in journalism at Sportskeeda, where he has been working for almost two years. Before joining the company, he sharpened his writing skills at The Bridge, covering football as a journalist.

With over 700 articles under his belt at Sportskeeda already, Gautham continues to deliver top-notch articles that cater to readers' interests. Before sharing his insights, he diligently cross-references information from various sources and stays updated by following key figures on social media, always striving to cater to readers' interests.

His ultimate goal is to earn the respect of his colleagues and retire with pride, akin to his idol Roger Federer. While his admiration for the 'Swiss Maestro' is unshakeable, he recognizes Novak Djokovic as the GOAT and believes that the Serb's records speak for themselves.

He is known for his strong opinions, including his firm belief that certain aspects of tennis, like let, should be reconsidered or removed altogether. When he's away from his keyboard, Gautham finds comfort in playing football, reading books, and listening to music.

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Edited by Nihal Taraporvala