Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova reflect on rivalry, friendship and cancer

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova took their rivalry from center court to Netflix in Chris & Martina: The Final Set, which reached the platform on June 26, 2026 after its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on June 10. Directed by Rebecca Gitlitz, the documentary puts two of women’s tennis’ defining champions in the same frame as they reflect on fame, illness and the bond that grew after years of trying to beat one another.

The film revisits a rivalry that still defines an era. Navratilova said in the trailer that Evert was “the opponent she had to beat to reach No. 1,” and the numbers back up the scale of their domination: Navratilova spent 332 weeks at world No. 1, while Evert held the top ranking for 260 weeks. Each woman won 18 major singles titles, a symmetry that helped make their meetings one of the sport’s most enduring markers of excellence.

What gives the documentary its urgency is not nostalgia but survivorship. Evert first disclosed an ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2021, then said in June 2026 that the cancer had returned, a development that made this her third battle with the disease. Navratilova announced a breast cancer diagnosis in 2010. The film explores how their friendship persisted through those health crises, turning a once-intense sporting contest into a rare public example of mutual support across decades.

The release has also become part of tennis’s current calendar. The All England Lawn Tennis Club hosted a special Wimbledon screening in London on the eve of the tournament, bringing together current players, legends and members of the wider WTA community. The setting tied the documentary back to the sport’s most recognizable stage, where Evert and Navratilova built the reputations that now give their personal testimony a different kind of authority.