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In her
terrific new book “The
Rivals,” Johnette Howard explores the rivalry and
relationship of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, the two
athletes who dominated women’s tennis in the 1970s and ’80s.
Different in surface respects, Howard shows how the two were
alike in the traits that mattered and how their friendship
endures to this day.
Howard, a
columnist for Newsday, has written a rollicking,
entertaining and insightful account of what she calls “the
greatest and longest-running individual rivalry in sports
history—a captivating 80-match set piece that unfolded over
16 years [and] included 60 finals.”
 The
public perception was simple: Evert, everyone’s All-American
Princess, reserved, prim and proper, vs. Navratilova, the
hard-bodied Czech refugee with the alternative lifestyle and
less-than-traditional feminine manner.
"Evert
and Navratilova were a study in contrasts, a collision of
styles and politics and looks. Fans felt so attached to each
player many declared themselves either 'Chrissie fans' or
'Martina fans,' " Howard writes, "as if that was some
defining choice, something akin to identifying oneself as a
Democrat or a Republican, a liberal or a conservative, a
Hatfield or a McCoy."
While there
is truth in all stereotypes, “The Rivals” shows that the two
women shared a love of competition, an inner toughness and
will to win and an overwhelming desire to be the best. Evert
was nurtured by her demanding yet loving father (and showed
a wilder side to her friends that belied her image).
Navratilova saw some success early but became dominant in
the 1980s only after falling in love with Nancy Lieberman,
the basketball star who developed (in Evert’s derisive term)
a “kill Chris” strategy. (Navratilova also is a softie with
a "heart that dents like a pillow.")
I am not
much of a tennis fan and can’t remember the last time
I watched a complete match, men’s or women’s. But this did
not stop me from thoroughly enjoying “The Rivals,” a tribute
to Howard’s skills as a writer and chronicler.
The book is
populated with wonderful anecdotes that stay with the
reader. We hear of Billie Jean King crying in the shower
before a big match against Evert at the 1971 U.S. Open (“I
just felt that if I lost to Chris, everything we tried to
build [in women’s pro tennis] was going to do down the
drain.”) We hear how proud a wide-eyed Navratilova was at
winning a fur coat at a 1974 tournament, wearing it despite
a tour director’s description of it as “dog fur—God it was
ugly.” Evert’s romantic relationships with those like
players like Jimmy Connors and John Lloyd are explored in
details, as are Navratilova’s with the likes of Lieberman,
Judy Nelson and Rita Mae Brown (“Rita Mae shot me!”
Navratilova exclaims after one knock-down, drag-out fight
that involved a gun).
More than
just a book about Evert and Navratilova, “The Rivals” is a
solid history of the rise of the women’s sports movement.
The heroine here is King, who fought incredible sexism to
forge a women’s tour. “These tennis girls would be much
happier if they settled down, got married and had a family,”
was a typical sentiment expressed at the time by players
like Stan Smith. King, rather than be threatened by the
meteoric success of Evert as were other players, correctly
saw the teenager as the perfect star for the new
era—athletic yet feminine enough to appeal to the masses.
Navratilova
arrived on the scene when Evert was already established. Her
journey from communist Czechoslovakia to capitalist America
is recounted, including her dramatic bid for asylum. Along
with her new-found freedom came the confidence to be open
about her sexuality, something that took guts back then (and
still does now). Navratilova was an out lesbian, yet was
able to utterly dominate tennis in the 1980s and win over
her critics in the process. And supportive of her all the
way was Evert, who in discussing King’s lesbianism wrote in
1981, “Who are we to knock it if someone is gay? … We’re in
no position to judge right and wrong in someone else’s
life.”
A
fascinating character in the story is Lieberman, who comes
across as (there’s no other way to say it) a total,
controlling bitch. She wound up being the most important cog
in “Team Navratilova,” the assortment of trainers,
nutritionists and therapists who helped mold Martina into
the best player in the world, using methods ahead of their
time. But Lieberman’s abrasive tactics and ability to
alienate most everyone, while perhaps necessary, had their
price. “What bothered me,” Evert said, “was Nancy made it
personal, not just about tennis. She thought that Martina
would play better if she hated me.”
Howard is
sympathetic to Lieberman in many ways, saying she has “an
extraordinary grasp of what makes a great athlete great. Her
astute take on who Navratilova was and what it would take
form her to challenge Evert seems even more remarkable in
hindsight, given the heights Navratilova would reach.”
Howard is
effective detailing the personal stories about the players
and their era, but also in breaking down the fine points of
tennis that will appeal to both aficionados and novices. For
example, her description of why the top players almost
always win in tennis is the most convincing I’ve read.
The best
sports segment occurs during the retelling of the 1985
French Open final between the two players (I won’t spoil the
ending for those who don’t know who won). The three-hour
epic distilled everything that was wonderful about their
rivalry. “When it was through,” Howard writes, “Navratilova
came around to Evert’s side of the net to sling an arm
around her. And Evert held on to Navratilova’s hand just an
instant longer when their arm-in-arm walk off the court
ended at the umpire’s chair, then turned away so Navratilova
couldn’t see her shoving away a few tears.”
My only
quibble with the book is its lack of discussion about the
players’ respective endorsements. Navratilova has always
maintained her being out cost her dearly in sponsorships,
despite her being ranked No. 1 from 1982-86. I would have
loved a comparison of what Evert received at her heights vs.
that of Navratilova. This would show in a telling way the
financial price Navratilova paid for being herself.
The legacy
of Chrissie and Martina as athletes and people is forever
secure and “The Rivals” serves as a compelling testimony to
their achievements and the era they profoundly shaped.
Howard has served up an ace.
Buy “The
Rivals.”
Related:
Martina talks about coming out and doing your part
June 6, 2005 |
