Tennis great Chris Evert has shared the difficult news that her cancer has returned, casting a shadow over what was meant to be a routine summer of work around the sport she helped define. According to the report, the announcement means she is now stepping back from a planned commitment at Wimbledon as she turns her attention to treatment instead of the broadcast booth.
Evert chose to tell her followers directly rather than let the news filter out. She posted on Instagram that scans carried out over the weekend had confirmed the return of the ovarian cancer she had already undergone surgery for, putting an end to a stretch of good health and signalling that another round of treatment now lies ahead of her.
The immediate consequence is a change to her summer plans at the sport's most famous tournament. According to the report, Evert has cancelled the analyst work she had been scheduled to do at Wimbledon next week, pulling out of a role in which she has long been a familiar voice for tennis audiences in order to focus on her recovery.
Doctors are moving quickly to a new phase of care. According to the report, Evert will begin chemotherapy, a step that points to how seriously the recurrence is being treated and that is likely to keep her away from the courts and the cameras for some time as she goes through the process.
This is not the first time Evert has faced the disease. She was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022 and announced the following year that she was cancer-free, a recovery that had allowed her to return to public life and her work in the game. The fresh diagnosis lands as a clear setback after that earlier all-clear.
The disclosure was met with immediate good wishes on air. According to the report, the broadcast carrying the news closed its segment on Evert with a message of support, saying she was in their thoughts as she prepares to begin treatment once again and step away from her planned duties at Wimbledon.