Tennis champion Chris Evert opens up about second cancer recovery

Tennis legend Chris Evert has urged people to "get checked" for ovarian cancer after being diagnosed with cancer for a second time.

The 69-year-old spoke about her experience with Good Morning America host Robin Roberts who battled breast cancer in 2007.

Evert's sister Jeanne died after a two-year battle with ovarian cancer, and the tennis champion underwent a preventative hysterectomy after learning she carried the BRCA gene mutation.

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She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022 after cancer was discovered in her fallopian tubes.

The 18-time grand slam champion was successfully treated, however in 2023 she was diagnosed with a recurrence of the cancer.

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Evert admits she was "surprised" to learn her cancer had returned.

"Because I was stage one because we got it early the first time," she said, describing it as "almost a second wake up call."

"So two years later I get the call," she added. "I had a CT, a CAT scan. My doctor said, ''we see something in your pelvic area.' I go, 'are you kidding me? I'm 90 per cent cured.'

"So they went in. It was cancerous. More chemotherapy. Almost like a second wakeup call. 'Are you kidding me?' you know?" she said.

"And now I have to really live my best life right now and I have to get out there and be an advocate for the BRCA gene genetic testing, early testing, get it done, go to your exams, any time you have to have something checked out, if you feel something not quite right, go to the doctor.

"Don't think that you're going to be a prima donna, go to the doctor and get it checked out," she added.

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Evert is back at work as a tennis analyst for ESPN and says it is "keeping me going." The US Open kicks off on August 26.

Evert is speaking ahead of Ovarian Cancer Month in September

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