Chris Evert reveals who is the GOAT and she leaves out the Big 3 and Serena Williams

• Tennis News
• Inside Tennis

Chris Evert recently expressed his opinion on the GOAT issue. The US tennis legend has left out Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic from the choice. In fact, the 18-time Grand Slam champion said the GOAT is Esther Vergeer, the legend of wheelchair tennis.

The athlete won 48 Slam titles along with seven Paralympic golds. Her ten-year undefeated streak saw her win an impressive 470 matches. When these stats resurfaced on Twitter, Evert wrote: "Wow! SHE'S THE GOAT!"

Wow! SHE is the GOAT!👏👍❤️ https://t.co/1LVwCOBRZq — Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) July 22, 2023

About the 42 Slam winner Esther Vergeer

Esther Vergeer was number 1 in the world ranking, capable of winning 42 Grand Slam tests (of which 21 in singles), 23 year-end tournaments and 8 medals at the Paralympics, including 7 gold.

She is considered the player who has most dominated the sport. She has been the number one wheelchair tennis player in the world continuously since 1999, without suffering a singles defeat since January 30, 2003 and, by winning the women's singles at the London Paralympics, she reached a record 470 match streak.

On February 12, 2013, after having already missed the Australian Open, she announced her immediate retirement from wheelchair tennis, abandoning the first world position after more than fourteen years. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2023.

Esther has had paraplegia since the age of 8 due to surgery near her spinal cord. While in rehab she learned to play volleyball, basketball and wheelchair tennis. After playing basketball for several years, she was invited to join the Dutch wheelchair basketball team.

With the Dutch national team you manage to win the 1997 European Championships. In 1998 she gave up basketball and focused full time on tennis being followed by coach Marc Kalkman. Her first big victory was at the US Open 1998, after this victory she moved from fifteenth to second place in the world.