'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chris Evert and Lindsay Davenport both had successful careers with a long list of achievements to their names.
Davenport has won a total of 55 WTA tour singles titles, including three major titles and a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, while Chris Evert has 154 singles titles, which includes 18 majors.
Lindsay Davenport spoke with Chris Evert about her 1996 Olympic experience in an old interview. Davenport was just 20 years old when she won the women's singles gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games, defeating Spain's Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the final, 7–6(8), 6–2.
Davenport recalled Billie Jean King sitting her down following the semifinal match, which heavily motivated her to compete for the gold.
“After my semi-final match, this was really kind of a pivotal moment in my whole career," said Davenport. "Billie Jean King sat me down, for like a good hour. Most people in dealing with me really hold me accountable and in my mind, I’ve always been kind of like a worst case scenario thinker.”
“She really forced me to talk about stuff that would normally make me uncomfortable like, ‘No, no, no, I’m happy, I’m gonna get a silver medal’ and she’s like, ‘You’ve to push yourself to do bigger and better things," she added.
"That was the first time anyone had done that to me," remarked Davenport. "It obviously worked out the next day. It was an incredible moment, super emotional, I couldn’t believe that it would happen to me and I still look back in those pictures and really can’t believe that it is me on the podium with the medal.”
Chris Evert joked that she wished that she had someone like Billie Jean King as she lost more finals than won. Evert has reached 34 Grand Slam singles finals in her illustrious career, winning 18 of them.
“I wish, I had somebody like Billie Jean before every final, every Grand Slam that I played, because I’m like the world’s greatest runner-up of Grand Slams. I lost more finals than I won," said Evert.
"You didn’t need to be a great athelete to be number one 30 years ago" - Chris Evert
During the same interview, Chris Evert and Lindsay Davenport contrasted the fitness of the current generation to their generation.
“I see the players these days at the top and whether you pick a Halep or an Osaka, obviously the Williams sisters like they could have picked any sport. They would have been so good. I, truly, I’m a very good tennis player, not good at much else. So, maybe it is lucky, I played before,” said Lindsay Davenport.
“I say the same thing. I was a great tennis player. That doesn’t mean I was a great athlete because you didn’t need to be a great athelete to be number one, 30 years ago. Now, you need to be,” Evert replied.
