"I struggled to beat Renee Richards, she was 43"- When Chris Evert opened up on facing transgender tennis player when in her 20s

Chris Evert once spoke about facing transgender tennis player Renee Richards when she was in her 20s and the latter was in her 40s.

In June 2022, Evert responded to a tweet from an X (formerly Twitter) account that no longer exists. She claimed that she struggled to beat 43-year-old Richards when she was at the top of the WTA rankings.

"Here are some facts…1) when I was #1 in the world, I struggled to beat Renee. She was 43…2)Renee has said if she had been 25, she would’ve wiped everyone off the court 3) Martina is no hater and Renee is awesome," Evert said.

Chris Evert was asked about her tweet by the New York Post only days later and she reiterated her story.

“I competed against Renee Richards when she was 43 and was not in shape, as she admitted, and (struggled to beat her) — and I was ranked No. 1 in the world," the American said.

Evert also pointed out the factors that made men stronger than women, explaining why transgender athletes should not compete in female tournaments.

“The wingspan. The size of the heart. The size of the lungs. The speed. The fast twitch muscles. The testosterone. There’s just everything pointing to the fact that men are quicker, stronger, etc. than women — especially after puberty," Evert said.

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Chris Evert won all of her matches against Renee Richards

Chris Evert in Newport in 2014

Chris Evert faced Renee Richards six times during her career and ended up winning on each occasion.

The former World No. 1 beat Richards 6-4, 6-3 at the 1978 Family Circle Cup. She then faced her in the Round of 16 of the 1979 Avon Championships of California, winning 6-4, 6-4.

The only meeting between the two in a final came in that year's Avon Championships of Seattle, and Evert won 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. This was also the only time their match went to three sets.

The solitary Grand Slam clash between the two came in the third round of the 1979 US Open, with Evert triumphing 6-2, 6-1. They next locked horns in the Round of 32 of a tournament in Atlanta, and the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion won 7-6, 6-2.

The last encounter between the two came in the first round of the 1980 Lynda Carter Classic. Chris Evert thrashed Renee Richards 6-4, 6-0, and went on to win the tournament by defeating Andrea Jaeger in the final.