Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova: Rivalry, Friendship, and Facing Cancer Together
About this episode
Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier discuss the rivalry and friendship between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova while facing cancer together.
On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier use the upcoming Netflix documentary on tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova to explore what really happens when lifelong rivalries, deep friendships, and life‑threatening cancer collide. From nostalgic memories of 1970s and 80s women’s tennis, where Chrissy and Martina dominated headlines and opened the door for women athletes, to the moment when both of them were diagnosed with serious cancers and had to face their own mortality, Brad and Deb unpack how adversity reshapes identity, control, competition, and connection. In this candid, hopeful, and often laugh‑through‑the‑pain conversation, Brad and Deb dive into: Growing up with icons: How watching Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova as teens helped a whole generation finally pay attention to women athletes and see women’s sports as “must‑watch.” Media‑made rivals, real‑life friends: Why the supposed “animosity” between Evert and Navratilova was largely manufactured by the media, and what their actual friendship looked like behind the headlines. Cancer as the great equalizer: How ovarian cancer (Evert) and breast cancer (Navratilova)…
People in this episode
Hosts: Dr. Brad Miller, Deb Krier
Topics covered
- rivalry
- friendship
- cancer
- women's sports
- identity
- relationships
Keywords
- Chris Evert
- Martina Navratilova
- cancer
- women's tennis
- friendship
- rivalry
- identity
- relationships
More episodes of Cancer and Comedy: Helping Cancer Impacted People to Cope with Hope and Humor
- Encore: Recovery Activist: Love, Gratitude, and Lessons from Cancer with Dr. Achim Zinggrebe. Author of "Rise and Thrive Above Cancer
- Ballparks and Borrowed Time: A Story About Living Fully with Your Friends and Dying Well After a Terminal Cancer Diagnosis
- Two-Time Survivor: Cheyenne Heflin on Losing a Leg, a Lung, and Never Losing Humor.
- What Ann Wilson of Heart Teaches Cancer Survivors About Healing, Authenticity, and Finding Your Voice
- Finding Light in the Shadows: Rock Bands and Resilience Through Cancer with Author John W. Pattison
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Cancer and Comedy: Helping Cancer Impacted People to Cope with Hope and Humor podcast page.