Tennis legend Chris reveals that her cancer has returned

CHRIS EVERT, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, has revealed her ovarian cancer has returned, two years after she was first diagnosed with the disease.

The US tennis star, 68, underwent chemotherapy in December 2021, and announced in January this year that doctors had given her the all-clear.

But in a statement released last night through sports channel ESPN, where she works as a pundit, she revealed she was undergoing a fresh round of treatment. She also confirmed it meant she would not be broadcasting at the upcoming Australian Open. In her statement she wrote: ‘I wanted to give all of you an update. My cancer is back. While this is a diagnosis I never wanted to hear, I once again feel fortunate that it was caught early. Based on a CT scan, I underwent another robotic surgery this past week. Doctors found cancer cells in the same region. All cells were removed and I have begun another round of chemotherapy.’

She added: ‘I’ll be ready for the rest of the Grand Slam season!’

In January 2022 Ms Evert went public with her first cancer diagnosis following a preventative hysterectomy after her sister, Jeanne, had died of the same disease in 2020.

Earlier this year, Ms Evert was told she was ‘cancer-free’ with a 90 per cent chance the cancer would not return – but those odds didn’t work in her favour.

Her statement added: ‘I encourage everyone to know your family history. Early detection saves lives. Be thankful for your health this holiday season.’

The former world number one has worked as a pundit since retiring in 1989. Her former playing rival, Martina Navratilova, previously credited Ms Evert with supporting her when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2022.