Chris Evert on being single: I needed to be alone for 5 or 6 years to find peace
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The last I remember hearing about tennis great Chris Evert, now 62 (which is surprising, I thought she was still 50-something), she was marrying golfer Greg Norman. That was back in 2008 and sadly Evert and Norman divorced after just 15 months, which I didn’t recall. She’s been single for quite some time and she seems to like it that way. In a new interview with People, Evert talked about finding herself after her divorce and how she’s happily single by choice. She also talked about her exercise and diet routine, which you can read at the source. Here’s what she told People about not being in a relationship:
“I am not dating anybody, and I am not looking,” Evert, 62, tells PEOPLE Saturday night during the 28th Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic gala at Florida’s Boca Raton Resort & Club.
“I needed to be alone for five or six years to find peace in my heart. I had to learn how to rely on myself and not on other people,” continues Evert, who has three sons — Alexander, 26, Nicholas, 23, and Colton, 21 — with second husband Andy Mill, a former Olympic downhill ski champion.
After her short 15-month third marriage to golfer Greg Norman ended in 2009, Evert vowed to look inward, make her own decisions, and become more independent.
“I really needed to be by myself,” continues Evert…
“As you get older, your priorities change,” says Evert. “I have found so much peace with myself. I am now busier than ever — and really happy.”
I’ve told this story here before so forgive me if you remember it (you probably don’t). When I was single at 30, one of my girlfriends, who was married with two small children at the time, was exclaiming how incredible it must be to do whatever I want with my free time. I told her that I sometimes got lonely, especially on Sundays. However she gave me a whole new perspective on singlehood, one I didn’t really understand until I was married with a kid. Being single can be awesome in that you get to schedule all your own time and do exactly what you want. I think Tracee Ellis Ross explained it best when she talked about taking solo vacations. So I understand Evert’s perspective definitely. After being in an unhappy relationship you just want to do and find the things that fulfill you. When you add another person in the mix some of your personal goals and pursuits can get pushed aside for the relationship. You should have a positive relationship with yourself first and know yourself and your boundaries. There’s also this misconception that single people are sad saps but so many people are miserable in their relationships, especially the single-shamers.
Photos credit: WENN and Getty
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