Chris Evert And Martina Navratilova on Oprah Winfrey Show - 2008 - Part 1

[CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY KING WORLD] OPRAH: TODAY, ALL-NEW, CALL YOUR BEST FRIEND AND WATCH THIS TOGETHER. THE REAL STORY BEHIND ONE OF THE GREATEST RIVALRIES OF ALL TIME. WOULD YOU SAY YOU ALL ARE BONDED FOR LIFE? SPORTS LEGENDS CHRIS EVERT AND MARTINA >> OH, MY GOD. OPRAH: NEXT. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] OPRAH: SO, WE ARE -- WE WERE INSPIRED TODAY BY THE APRIL EDITION OF "O" MAGAZINE. YOU KNOW WHO'S ON THE COVER. [LAUGHTER] OPRAH: THAT'S ACTUALLY ME IN MY LAVENDER FIELD OUTSIDE MY HOUSE. IT SAYS OUR EDITION IS DEVOTED TO FRIENDS, CALL ONE TODAY. AND THIS IS A GREAT ISSUE TO GIVE TO YOUR BEST FRIEND. I WOULD GIVE IT TO MY BEST FRIEND EXCEPT SHE WORKS ON THE MAGAZINE SO THERE'S NO NEED TO GIVE IT TO HER. IT'S ABOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP. INSIDE ARE JUST FANTASTIC ARTICLES ABOUT FRIENDS AND WHAT THEY MEAN TO US. ALSO, IF YOU HAVE A FRIEND THAT'S BEEN AROUND TOO LONG AND YOU MAY NEED TO GET RID OF A FRIEND AND -- [LAUGHTER] OPRAH: YOU KNOW, WE COVER THE WHOLE GAMUT OF FRIENDSHIP. TO HONOR THOSE FRIENDSHIPS THAT CHANGE OUR LIVES, WE BRING YOU A REMARKABLE STORY. IT'S THE MOST FAMOUS, INTENSE, AND EMOTIONAL RIVALRY BETWEEN TWO WOMEN THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN. FILLED WITH PAIN, FILLED WITH GLORY, AND HIGH-STAKES DRAMA. CHRIS EVERT AND MARTINA NAVRATILOVA, FOR 16 YEARS THEIR EPIC BATTLES CAPTIVATED FANS AND SPARKED A REVOLUTION IN WOMEN'S SPORTS. REMEMBER THIS? BY THE TIME LITTLE CHRISSY WAS OLD ENOUGH TO PICK UP A RACKET, COACH DAD WAS HELPING HER HONE THAT TRADEMARK TWO-HANDED BACKHAND. IN 1971, CHRIS EVERT BURST ONTO THE SCENE AT THE U.S. OPEN. >> CHRISSY GOES TO THE CORNER AND GETS IT. OPRAH: AND AMERICA INSTANTLY FELL IN LOVE WITH THE FRESH-FACED TEENAGER IN A PONYTAIL AND RIBBONS. AT 16 YEARS OLD, SHE BECAME AMERICA'S SWEETHEART, THE PERFECT MIX OF FEMININITY AND STRENGTH. BOYS WANTED TO DATE HER, GIRLS WANTED TO BE HER. HER MOVES ON AND OFF THE COURT WERE FODDER FOR HEADLINES. CHRIS' ENGAGEMENT TO MAVERICK TENNIS STAR JIMMY CONNORS CAME THE SAME YEAR THEY BOTH WON WIMBLEDON. BUT THE DAZZLING COUPLE'S FAIRY-TALE LOVE MATCH DID NOT LAST. CHRIS WAS LINKED TO MOVIE STARS AND EVEN A PRESIDENT'S SON BUT SHE ALWAYS FOUND HER WAY BACK TO HER ONE TRUE LOVE, TENNIS. MARTINA NAVRATILOVA'S JOURNEY TO GREATNESS BEGAN AT AGE FIVE. BY THE TIME SHE WAS 12, THE CZECHOSLOVAKIAN-BORN NATURAL ATHLETE WAS THE PRIDE OF HER COMMUNIST HOMELAND. DURING HER FIRST TRIP TO AMERICA, 16-YEAR-OLD MARTINA FELL IN LOVE WITH OUR LAND OF HAMBURGERS AND COCA-COLA. SHE RETURNED HOME SIX WEEKS LATER AND 20 POUNDS HEAVIER. IN 1975, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COLD WAR, MARTINA FAMOUSLY LEFT THE GROUNDS OF THE U.S. OPEN AND ANNOUNCED SHE WAS DEFECTING TO THE UNITED STATES. >> I DIDN'T GET ENOUGH OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY AS MUCH TENNIS AS I WANTED. OPRAH: THE CHAMPION ATHLETES WERE EXTREME OPPOSITES IN EVERY WAY. THEIR LEGENDARY MATCHES WERE DUBBED FIRE AND ICE. >> GAME, SET, AND CHAMPIONSHIP. OPRAH: CHRISSY, THE STONE-FACED, COLD AND CALCULATING BASE-LINER. MARTINA, WILDLY ATTACKING THE NET AND PRONE TO EMOTIONAL MELTDOWNS ON THE COURT. THEIR PERSONAL LIVES WERE ALSO UNDER THE MICROSCOPE. CHRIS' DIVORCE FROM DASHING BRITISH TENNIS STAR JOHN LLOYD, MARTINA UNDER SCRUTINY FOR BEING ONE OF SPORTS' FIRST OPENLY GAY ATHLETES. CHRIS DOMINATED THE FIRST YEARS OF THEIR COMPETITIONS. MARTINA FOUGHT BACK POINT FOR HEART-POUNDING POINT. >> I FIGURED I HAVE THE TALENT SO WHY DON'T I JUST WORK AT IT AND MAKE MYSELF AS GOOD AS I POSSIBLY CAN BE. OPRAH: DETERMINED TO BEAT CHRIS, MARTINA WHIPPED HERSELF INTO THE BEST SHAPE OF HER LIFE. A NEW TRAINER TAUGHT HER TO CRUSH CHRIS. AS THEY RAISED THE STAKES WITH THEIR CUTTHROAT COMPETITION, THE DYNAMIC PAIR BLAZED A NEW TRAIL FOR WOMEN ATHLETES EVERYWHERE. WELL, THE WORLD SAW THEM AS BITTER ENEMIES BUT WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS OFF THE COURT, THESE LEGENDARY WOMEN FORGED AN UNLIKELY AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP. PLEASE WELCOME, FOR THE FIRST TIME ON "THE OPRAH SHOW" TOGETHER, CHRIS EVERT AND MARTINA NAVRATILOVA. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] OPRAH: HELLO. HI, HONEY. >> HI, HONEY. OPRAH: BEAUTIFUL. >> HELLO. OPRAH: HELLO, AGAIN. GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> GOOD TO SEE YOU. OPRAH: LOOK AT YOU. >> CAN WE SIT DOWN AND TALK? OPRAH: SIT. SUCH POWER, SUCH POWER ALMIGHTY. SO CHRIS, I WANT TO START WITH YOU. YOU WERE ALREADY -- >> THE COLDLY CALCULATING ONE? [LAUGHTER] IS THAT THE WAY YOU WANT TO START? OPRAH: NO, BUT YOU WERE ALREADY A STAR WHEN YOU FIRST MET MARTINA. >> MARTINA HAD JUST COME OVER TO AMERICA AND I SAW THIS YOUNG GIRL WALKING AROUND IN A BATHING SUIT. NOW YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, THIS IS A TENNIS TOURNAMENT, OK? SO, THERE'S THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AROUND AND MARTINA'S IN A ONE-PIECE BATHING SUIT WITH -- THE TAN LINES ARE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES, YOU KNOW. [LAUGHTER] AND SHE WAS EATING AN ICE CREAM CONE AND I THOUGHT -- MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS, "BOY, THAT GIRL'S GOT GUTS, YOU KNOW? OPRAH: REALLY? YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW HER? >> WELL, I REMEMBER BECAUSE I WAS AT THE VERY FIRST TOURNAMENT IN FORT LAUDERDALE AND CHRIS WAS SITTING DOWN PLAYING BACKGAMMON WITH THE UMPIRE THEN, FRANK HAMMOND. I WALKED BY AND SHE SAID, "HELLO." AND I WAS SO THRILLED THAT CHRIS EVERT SAID HELLO TO ME. OPRAH: NOW, THE PRESS ALWAYS CALLED YOU LITTLE MISS CICLE BECAUSE YOU WERE SO -- >> CALLED MISS CICLE? OPRAH: YEAH. >> LIKE ICICLE OR -- OPRAH: YEAH, SORT OF COOL, CALM, AND COLLECTED. >> RIGHT. OPRAH: YEAH, WAS THAT THE TRUTH? >> IT -- IT -- OPRAH: WERE YOU ALWAYS COOL, CALM, AND COLLECTED? >> WELL, ACTUALLY IT WAS THE BRITISH PRESS AND I WENT OVER TO WIMBLEDON MY FIRST YEAR. HERE I WAS A SCHOOLGIRL AND I WAS PLAYING IN AN INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT AND THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT THAT I DIDN'T SHOW EMOTION, AND THAT I DIDN'T GET MAD, AND THAT I DIDN'T YOU KNOW HAVE EMOTION ON MY FACE AND SO THEY DUBBED ME ALL THESE SORT OF THINGS LIKE -- >> ICE MAIDEN. >> LITTLE ICE MAID AND -- BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS I JUST KEPT IT INSIDE OF ME. MY DAD TOLD ME AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, "DON'T LET YOUR OPPONENT SEE HOW YOU'RE FEELING IF YOU'RE LOSING BECAUSE THEY'LL USE IT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE" AND HE WAS RIGHT. I MEAN, IT WORKED FOR ME. IT MIGHT NOT WORK FOR OTHER PEOPLE BUT IT WORKED FOR ME. OPRAH: YEAH, YEAH, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE SPORTS WRITERS SAY THAT YOU WON BECAUSE OF SHEER WILL AND DETERMINATION. >> WELL, I WOULD HOPE THAT I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF ATHLETICISM. [LAUGHTER] >> A WHOLE LOT OF TALENT. OPRAH: AND TALENT. >> RAW TALENT. >> BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, OPRAH -- OPRAH: AND THAT YOU HAD TRAINED YOUR MIND TO BE A CHAMPION, YEAH. >> THE MENTAL SIDE WAS MY STRENGTH AND I DID NOT HAVE -- I WASN'T THE TREMENDOUS ATHLETE THAT A MARTINA WAS OR STEFFI GRAF OR THOSE, THOSE WOMEN COULD BE OLYMPIC ATHLETES IN ANYTHING THAT THEY TRIED. I WAS, YOU KNOW, I WAS TRAINED TO BE A GREAT TENNIS PLAYER AND I WAS A REALLY GOOD ATHLETE BUT I WASN'T A GREAT ATHLETE. OPRAH: BUT THEN YOU KNOW YOU ARE OPPOSITES IN MANY WAYS. OBVIOUSLY, WE COULD SEE YOUR EMOTIONS. >> I COULDN'T KEEP IT INSIDE BUT NOBODY EVER TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD, YOU KNOW. I WAS NEVER TRAINED AT ALL. IT WAS ALL ABOUT TECHNIQUE, HOW TO HIT THE BALL. NOBODY REALLY HELPED ME WITH THE HEAD AND THE TACTICS UNTIL I GOT A COACH WHEN RENEE RICHARDS STARTED WORKING WITH ME. I WAS 26 YEARS OLD SO I WAS PRETTY MUCH ON MY OWN, AT LEAST FROM THE NECK UP. OPRAH: FROM THE NECK UP. WAS IT, IS IT TRUE THAT WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER AND YOUR MOM USED TO SAY YOU KNOW, "PUT ON A BLOUSE THAT DIDN'T SHOW YOUR MUSCLES?" >> YES, YEAH, I WAS ALWAYS VERY MUSCULAR. MY MOM HAD BIG ARMS AND SO I'M HIDING THEM, STILL, TO THIS DAY. AND HERE CHRIS IS SHOWING OFF HERS. >> SORRY. [LAUGHTER] WELL, THEY'RE NOT YOU KNOW. >> SHOWING HER GUNS. YEAH, IT WASN'T FEMININE AND I ALSO HAD BIG VEINS SO I WAS ALWAYS HIDING. SO THEN, WHEN I PUT ON WEIGHT, WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE AND I PUT ON LIKE 20 POUNDS, THE VEINS DISAPPEARED. I THOUGHT, "OH, I LOOK YOU KNOW A LITTLE MORE FEMININE." SO, I LIKED IT BECAUSE MY MOM TOLD ME THAT I SHOULDN'T BE SHOWING THE ARMS, YOU KNOW. BACK THEN -- OPRAH: AND NOW EVERYBODY SHOWS THEIR -- >> NOW I SHOW THE GUNS, YEAH. OPRAH: YEAH, NOW EVERYBODY DOES. >> NOW, IT'S SORT OF OK BUT IT WASN'T THEN. OPRAH: SO, WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE BACK IN THE LOCKER ROOM AFTER A CUTTHROAT MATCH ON THE COURT? >> IT DEPENDED WHO WON. NO, ACTUALLY IT DIDN'T BECAUSE WE WERE ALWAYS VERY EMPATHETIC TO ONE ANOTHER AND IT WAS -- THAT'S WHAT'S WEIRD ABOUT TENNIS IS THAT YOU BOTH IN THE LOCKER ROOM BEFORE THE MATCH AND AFTER THE MATCH AND ONE IS VERY HAPPY AND ONE IS VERY SAD. BUT WE WOULD EITHER PUT OUR ARMS AROUND EACH OTHER AND SAY, "YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU KNOW, I WAS A LITTLE LUCKIER. YOU KNOW, NEXT TIME, YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT, I'M SURE." AND, "ARE YOU OK?" OR WE WOULD LEAVE NOTES IN EACH OTHER'S RACKET BAGS FOR LATER AND YOU KNOW -- OPRAH: REALLY? WELL, MORE WITH MARTINA AND CHRIS WHEN WE COME