To kick off the 60th anniversary of Billie Jean King Cup, USTA Foundation chairperson Chris Evert had her own special milestone to celebrate.
Evert was honored for her longtime dedication to the U.S. Billie Jean King Cup, previously Fed Cup, team with the Billie Jean King Cup Commitment Award in an on-court ceremony that took place between singles matches at the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier between the U.S. and Austria on Friday night at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. Billie Jean King was on hand to honor her longtime friend, and present her with a commemorative keepsake.
In a heartfelt speech, Evert reflected on her experiences on the U.S. team to the assembled crowd, recalling how unique and special it was to play for her country throughout her career—sentiments similar to the ones expressed by current U.S. stars Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula this week. In that, Evert added that it was a thrill to have longtime tour rivals like Martina Navratilova, Rosie Casals, Pam Shriver and Zina Garrison cheering for her as they all worked towards a singular goal of winning the event for the U.S.
The Billie Jean King Cup Commitment Award has been awarded since 2016, and is presented to players who competed in a minimum of 20 World Group ties, or 40 ties at any level, in Billie Jean King Cup in their careers. In her career, Evert played in 42 ties for the U.S. and helped the red, white and blue to eight of its record 18 titles. She debuted in 1977 and played her final tie in 1989. In all, she posted a 57-4 overall record, and a 40-2 mark in singles, in the competition, both of which are U.S. national records.
"Playing Fed Cup, now Billie Jean King Cup, it was the best week of my whole year," Evert said. "I knew not only was I playing for my country, but I'd have Martina [Navratilova] on the bench cheering for me. I'd have Pam Shriver cheering for me. I'd have Tracy Austin cheering for me. I would have Zina Garrison. This is an individual sport ... but I had their backs. They had my back. We practiced together. We ate lunch together. We did everything together. We were finally close friends and we were finally on the same page. It was a great camaraderie between us.
"That's why, in an individual sport, like tennis it's so important, to throw the team aspect in it once in a while because it really makes a lot of fun."
Evert is one of seven Americans to receive this honor to date, joining Casals, Garrison, King, Navratilova, Lindsay Davenport and Gigi Fernandez. A total of 135 players from all nations meet the criteria for selection.
The premier international team competition in women's tennis, the Billie Jean King Cup has existed since 1963, but was named in honor of King in 2020.