What is so interesting for me about these two great players is how their careers spanned the early professional era of tennis playing alongside King, Court, Wade and Goolagong, then they saw off a host of younger players in the middle part of their careers, Austin, Mandlikova, Jaeger, and finally faced opponents such as Graf, Seles, Sanchez-Vicario. They achieved this by becoming faster, fitter and stronger. They oversaw the transition from Wood to Graphite. They started as good stroke players with less physical strength and fitness and ended up as great and stronger athletes. They helped transform the sport and paved the way for the new era of tennis we have today.

1978, The quality is so good, I want to cry.

Happy when this game over, Navratilova pass the net to Evert's court, and then Evert hug Navratilova with no tendency about her loss, what incredibly sportmanship that will never found now.

I love that era of tennis. So enjoyable to watch. It used to be such an elegant game.

Chris. Martina, Borg and McEnroe, they made me love this sport... great salute to them... This match looks like Chris giving it to Martina...

By far the greatest rivalry in sports history. These 2 Champions faced each other nearly 100 times including 22 Grand Slam Finals. They are tied for 3rd place in GS Finals Titles with 18 each.

J'avais totalement oublié La victoire de Martina, Un grand plaisir de revoir ces beaux moments. Merci

So much to like about this. Genuine friendship, heartfelt congratulations, beautiful serve and volley game. And Navratilova reacts so much more mature about being hit than many of the guys on tour today.

Whoever said women's game was not as interesting as men's needs to get examined. This is SO entertaining, I can't take my eyes off it.

Great rivalry and great friendship between Chris and Martina. Each one is a great champion with different games. The great baseliner vs the incredible serve and volleyer. Such a great era in tennis. I am really nostalgic watching these two ladies play. I love them both !

Ohhh good memories..I saw them play many times …and loved it ..

Navratilova’s serve was a real weapon in this match ❤wow

elegance, sweetness, class and beauty...this is Chris Evert

wow chris evert was so sweet

How graceful Chris Evert is on court !! She won 18 Grand Slam titles with this attitude. That is extraordinary great.

Chris Evert was so gracious in defeat and Martina was just incredible especially in the last three games. This was the match that made me a tennis fan.

Quality of play and recording are so good and such nice sportsmanship between players win or lose, which is unlike today!

Sportsmanship at the highest level

they were so young .. i'm feeling nostalgic .. what a time

I love the friendship, I love watching them.. I was Everett fan, but grew to love Martina too. I like the fact she became an American played for us❤️

Thanks for this beautiful upload. Chris Evert was so gorgeous back then.

Chris was such a good player with the grace of an Angel.. and what a Babe..!!!

Tennis back then was not that powerful but definitely more elegant. Very enjoyable to watch!!

Love Evert and Navratilova, both wonderful players and people. Also, how lovely to hear again those dulcet and measured commentary tones of the legendary Dan Maskell who never said more than was necessary: "Oh, I say!"

Loved the sportsmanship at the end very nice

To me that doesn't seem like such a long time ago but to see the players spinning the racquet and all of those photographers on court pre-match makes it seem like a lifetime

Two Great players...both drove each other on. As a young lad at the time, I had such a crush on Chris Evert.

The greatest ever, both. No relevant who of them could win. Always great and spectacular tennis. I love them both.

Another truly sweet, much missed person is the Duchess of Kent. Really warm and genuine. I think Martina confided in her then, at the trophy presentation, because it seems the Duchess played a part in getting visas for Martina's mother and stepfather to come to Wimbledon the following year.

Martina Navratilova is the greatest tennis player history. 344 career titles. Nobody is even close! Chris Evert is the greatest American female player in history. Best career winning % 90. Won 125 matches in a row on clay. 34 slam finals, best all-time. 52 out of 56 semis or better at slams is perhaps the most unbeatable record ever.

They are so beautiful!!! 💖💖

Love hearing Dan Markell announce. He was the voice of Wimbledon for ages

Wood racquets and no tattoos. Oh how I miss those days!

I remember watching this amazing tennis Chris everett was so much a lady on court . Seems like yesterday. Were have all those yrs gone

Tennis was more of a chess match back then - finesse and strategy. Now, it's just pure power.

Both of them are tennis legend 🧡💛❤

Now, being an old thing, I do miss the those respectful quiet crowds instead of the screaming ninnies we have now ...

I wasn't born yet but that rocked ! I like Chris Evert's playing

two big women's tennis are facing each other Chris Evert vs Martina Navratilova, sincerely incredible.

Wow! Tennis has changed so much since then.

6:18 so cute 😍😍😍

The class of Chris is palpable, now go to the 88 Aussie semi,Chris is a far superior player and dominated Martina,love them both but in my book Chris is most definitely the goat.Miss that time in the tennis kingdom,Chris's grace and class was something not taught.

The lovely Chris Evert x

Great rivalry! Congrats to Navratilova

To this day Martina is my fave athlete ever

Martina looking cute back then...😊😊

Mes 17a je me rappel à la TV 2 GRANDES JOUEUSES

Martina's dress is probably my favorite tennis outfit ever

To me this demonstrates that the rules need to change as the equipment develop and players become bigger and stronger. This is like tennis is supposed to be: lot of skill, some tactics, and some power and speed. Now it is a lot of power and speed, some skills and a little bit of tactics. So, make the net higher, slow down the balls, draw the service line by 20 cm, etc..

Classy and intelligent playing.

Brilliant match!

この時代、良く試合見てたな〜 技と力の闘いだった気がする 素晴らしい2人だった

People talk about Federer.. But lets face it.. The GOAT is Martina !

"Sportspersonship " at it's best. This should be analysed and studied....and used as a blueprint not just for sport but for relationships in life

Happy Birthday to Martina.10-18-56

Wooden racquets weren’t accompanied by the grunting and shrieking required by today’s power racquets, obviously.

I feel like the women’s game is come back with more variety and skin. Osaka, Barty and Andresscu really are making the game interesting again.

This match pretty much marks the turning point in their rivalry. Prior to Wimbledon 1978, Evert won most of their matches. You can see how fit Martina is right here, having lost most of her fat. Many feel John Lloyd played a part in Chrissie's loss, but credit to Martina for hanging in there during the tough points.

Evert and Graff are my fav players

What a calm and quiet sport Tennis used to be... very well behaved players!

I really like those rackets and always wanna try how it feels playing with wooden ones.😍

Le jeu proposé par Navratilova était magnifique. C'était, à mon avis, sa meilleure période. Elle n'était pas connue en France et, à l'époque, cela avait été considéré comme une surprise.

WOW, Evert was up 5-4 in the 3rd, and then Navratilova won 12 of the last 13 points. What happened Chrissy? I wonder how history might have been written if Martina hadn't served so marvelously when one game away from losing the match!

Chris Evert was back then a sweat young thing for every man. She was Jennifer Lawrence of Tennis.

A match Chrissie really should have won. 4-2 up in the final set and had her chance to lead 5-2, on her serve. Martina played great to break the Ice-Maiden's serve...

Incredible upset against the odds when Evert led 4-2 in the third, incredible first victory by Martina of five finals agains Evert

So different, so much the same. Great Ladies.

nice to see when they got along before some of martina's coaches/team veered her in a different, power hungry direction before it turned around again.

My mom used to point out to me and my brothers the Navratilova/Evert matches to show good sportsmanship at the end because these two always hugged at the end of the game (even though one of them came in 2nd place). Sorry, mom, that may work in womens' tennis, but not football!!

Respect each other

I didn't want to see either of these ladies lose.

Bravo Martina for coming back from 2-4 in the 3rd

People behavior differently 40 years ago, they had higher values than now in therms of respect, friendship and surely other subjects. We need to appreciate how Martina and Chris relate to each other after match, so beautiful. So after all these years we made technology progress but human relationships fall down

14:56 gutsy swing volley by Martina! Greatest rivalry in Women's tennis ever!

Martina is at my tennis club right now for an event

Both are young and pretty.amasing.

Imagine if Serena Williams could travel back in time and play Wimbledon in 1978 . Nobody would stand a chance , nobody could actually return one of her Serves , that goes for the men too .

What a great sportsmanship after the match from both..nice to see it was like that

fashionable.classical.elegant.

what a point at 10:00, Everts defense at the end that kept her in the point then ended it with a Nadal like passing shot.

The prize money was a little different in those days, and the tennis more enjoyable to watch. Also unlike today, no cheating.

Interesting how commentators often point out in later years of her career how Martina did not have a topspin backhand until the early to mid 80s after her physical reformation. Did she not hit a topspin backhand passing shot at 30 love of the first game here? I also have seen her hit it in various other 70s and early 80s matches. She didn't use it during rallies just for the sake of hitting it but she did have one.

Damn I had a crush on Chrissie back in the 70s! And her tennis fundamentals were flawless. When I started playing with mistakes, I'd remember Chrissie's technique. Even though she was a girl, the principals are universal (I"m talking about playing with heavy wooden or heavy 80s graphite, not featherweight 21st century stix with poli strings). Try a "lag and snap" windshield wiper movement with a 13 oz. (370 gr) Wilson Jack Kramer Autograph and your arm falls off after 30 minutes.

Whoever prefers today's consistent baseline rallies have terribly poor choice! Look at the varieties in this game! Shame that all courts nearly have homogeneous speed today giving rise to boring one dimensional game!

Together, they win 18+18 = 36 GS. 2 year old gặp, they are real rivals.

Evert let a psyched out Navratilova back into the match, like opened the door and said come back in

Early in their rivalry Chris dominated winning 75% of the time. Then Martina came on strong and ended up with a 60/40 advantage over Chris.

No Coin Toss back in those days!!! 🙊😃

Chrissie Evert is, I suspect, fated to be forever underrated, especially beyond this age of Serena worship. That said, I would sure pay a few shekels in paradise to watch prime Martina vs. prime Serena.

Would love to see the dramatic Evonne V Martina Semi final

When or when does the drop of the "Famous Tennis Bracelet" incident occur?

Even then Martina Navratilova has managed to introduce the power game...her serve is forceful for a wooden racquet

They're such good sports with each other 6:15 , 24:05

has ANYONE ever seen posted the 79 W final?

Looks like a different sport in comparison with today's tennis. Did any of them break a sweat?

Chris’s level dropped in the final games. The match was well within her grasp. Credit to Martina for holding her cool an level in the final games. Prior she had a tendency to lose it.

La rivalità si fa con l'amicizia

Serve and volley is always better to watch than base line players.

Chrissie was beautiful.

Saturday 7th July 1978