Shivangi Sinha
Chris Evert is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players in history. During her illustrious career, she won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record seven French Open crowns, and held the world’s highest ranking for a total of 260 weeks. Evert helped shape the modern game. Central to her legacy was her iconic rivalry with Martina Navratilova, as the pair faced off many times in some of sport’s greatest battles. Netflix’s ‘Chris & Martina: The Final Set’ revisits their complex interpersonal relationship as they once again find themselves confronting similar challenges and milestones later in life.
Jimmy and Colette Evert Laid the Foundation for Chris Evert’s Career in Tennis
Jimmy Evert was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, where he developed into a talented young tennis player. He won two US age-group titles and the 1940 Illinois state high school championship. After serving briefly in the Army, he attended the University of Notre Dame on a tennis scholarship and went on to enjoy a successful amateur and professional career, reaching a career-high US ranking of No. 11 as an amateur and No. 8 as a professional. In 1958, he opened the Holiday Park Tennis Center in Fort Lauderdale and turned it into one of the country’s most respected tennis programs while coaching future stars. One of his students was his daughter, Chris Evert, whose career he supported tremendously. He retired from his coaching role in 1997 and lived a quiet life. He died of pneumonia in August 2015 at the age of 91 and left behind a legacy that is celebrated even today.
Colette Evert was born Jeanne Colette Thompson in New Rochelle, New York, and grew up in a large family. She met Jimmy Evert at a mutual friend’s wedding, and the couple married in 1952 before settling in Florida, where they raised five children: Chris, Jeanne, John, Drew, and Clare. While Jimmy built his renowned tennis program in Fort Lauderdale, Colette became the family’s steady representative on the junior and professional tennis circuit. She traveled extensively with her children and supported their careers from the sidelines. She accompanied Chris to many of her early tournaments, including the 1971 US Open, and became a respected figure in tennis circles for her grace. Following a long and happy marriage that lasted until Jimmy’s death in 2015, Colette passed away peacefully in November 2020 at the age of 92.
Jeanne Evert Passed Away in 2020 After a Long Battle With Cancer
Although Chris Evert grew up with four siblings, it was her sister Jeanne Evert who remained her closest companion throughout much of her life. Born on October 5, 1957, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Jeanne followed the family’s tennis tradition and enjoyed an impressive junior career by winning multiple national singles and doubles titles and reaching the No. 1 junior ranking. She turned professional in 1973 at just 15 years old and quickly made headlines by reaching the semifinals of the Cincinnati tournament, a feat that still makes her the youngest player to reach that stage in the Open Era. She also became the youngest player to represent the US in the Wightman Cup and partnered with Chris in doubles. The sisters reached a world doubles ranking of No. 4 together.
Jeanne achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 28 in 1978 before retiring from professional tennis later that year. After meeting Brahm Dubin during a tournament in Montreal, she married him in 1979, and the couple settled in Delray Beach, where they raised their two children, Eric and Catie. Jeanne remained involved in tennis through coaching and helping manage the Delray Beach Tennis Center. Following Brahm’s death in 2006, she continued her work while remaining devoted to her family. After a two-and-a-half-year battle with ovarian cancer, Jeanne died on February 20, 2020, at the age of 62. Chris has often said that before passing, her sister urged her to get a check-up, which helped in getting ahead of her diagnosis as well.
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Alexander, Nicholas, and Colton Mill Have a Close Relationship With Both Their Parents Today
Chris Evert married Olympic skier Andy Mill in July 1988, her second marriage. The couple welcomed their first son, Alexander “Alex” Mill, in 1991, followed by Nicholas “Nicky” Mill in 1994 and Colton Mill in 1996. Although Chris and Andy divorced in 2006, they remained committed to co-parenting their three sons. Raised primarily in Colorado, Alex developed a passion for skateboarding and competed seriously as a teenager. His talent earned him an immediate sponsorship from RVCA after he impressed representatives at an Aspen competition in 2007. In adulthood, he shifted his focus to fitness and now works as a CrossFit coach and Invictus athlete. He has also maintained a connection to tennis by broadcasting alongside his mother and was seen mentoring young players at the Evert Tennis Academy in 2025. Alex has remained a constant source of support for his mother during her cancer treatments. While he is not married, he is a devoted uncle who loves all his family.
Nicholas “Nicky” Mill developed a love for the outdoors at an early age, particularly a passion for fishing that he inherited from his father, Andy Mill. Over the years, he turned that passion into a career and now works as a professional outdoorsman and media producer. During the summers, he guides fly-fishing trips in Colorado, while the fall season sees him working as a big-game archery hunting guide. In 2020, he and his father launched the ‘Mill House Podcast,’ where Nicky serves as producer and co-host. He also runs Duck Camp Co., an outdoor apparel and gear brand, and created ‘The Guide’s Guide,’ a series documenting his wilderness adventures. In September 2022, Nicky married Rebecca, and in May 2024, the couple welcomed their son, Hayden James Mill, making Chris Evert a grandmother for the first time.
Like his older brothers, Colton Mill grew up surrounded by sports and the outdoors. Although he played some tennis during his younger years, he chose not to pursue the sport competitively and instead maintained a far more private life than the rest of his family. Of Chris’ three sons, Colton has remained the least publicly visible. However, he has frequently supported his family at important events, including the 2012 Legends Ball benefiting the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the 2017 Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic gala in Boca Raton. Outside such appearances, he has preferred to keep his personal and professional life out of public attention.
