Back to the future – 1986: Chrissie for Ever

A fierce rivalry but an everlasting friendship

In many ways, the women’s singles final at Roland-Garros 1986 was the ultimate face-off between two players known as the greatest ever rivals in the history of tennis. Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, the world’s top two women’s players, were playing each other for the fourteenth (and last) time in a Grand Slam final, their third consecutive final in Paris. It was also the first time since the pre-war years that two women had come up against one other in a Roland-Garros final three years in a row.

The stars aligned to make this event a major turning point in women’s tennis. At age 31, when many believed she was already on the slippery slope to the end of her career, Chris secured her seventh and last Parisian title, a record that remains unbroken to this day, lifting her 18th Grand Slam trophy. “The nice thing was just kind of surprising myself that I could still win a Grand Slam at that late age [...] I think that win propelled me to play three more years,” she said many years later, during an interview for rolandgarros.com.

What made this final even more symbolic is that it was watched by 16-year-old Steffi Graf, who had lost in the quarterfinals to Hana Mandlikova (2-6 7-6 6-1 despite having match point) and would take over Queen Chrissie’s crown the following year. The match – a fantastic encounter, though not quite on a par with the 1985 final – went to a third set. Down 0-2, Evert used her clay-court expertise to her advantage and concluded the match with three winners. The queen of the passing shot dealt her death blow at the net, securing the title with a superb forehand drop volley.

The culmination of several years of fierce rivalry, this match brought the two American legends even closer together. They would play each other a further ten times, but never again in a Grand Slam final. Though they were soon eclipsed by rising star Steffi Graf, the pair went on to nurture a close friendship over the years.

A wave of upsets...and a triumph for Lendl

The men’s tournament featured a tidal wave of upsets, leaving just one player unscathed: World No.1 Ivan Lendl. He cruised through the fortnight to clinch his third Grand Slam title, his second at Roland-Garros. Not counting the set he lost in the quarterfinals against Andres Gomez, who managed to stand firm for two sets before crumbling (6-7 7-6 6-0 6-0), Lendl only lost an average of seven games per match. He sailed through his semifinal against Johan Kriek (6-2 6-1 6-0) and made short work of surprise finalist Mikael Pernfors (6-3 6-2 6-4).

Kriek and Pernfors were the talk of the fortnight, thanks to their dazzling campaigns. The South African-American, who had two Australian Open titles under his belt, had not played in Paris since 1979, due to a clay dust allergy. In 1986, however, he decided to give it another try, the reason being that his wife wanted to do some shopping in Paris. It turned out to be the right decision!

Pernfors, meanwhile, was the only Swede left in the running. Defending champion Mats Wilander, his mind on other things, was knocked out by a young Andrei Chesnokov in the third round (6-2 6-3 6-2), while Stefan Edberg was defeated in the second round…by Pernfors himself (6-7 7-5 6-3 2-6 6-4). The man from Malmö continued his impressive campaign by beating Boris Becker in the quarterfinals (2-6 6-4 6-2 6-0), then Henri Leconte in the semis (2-6 7-5 7-6 6-3).

This was a huge disappointment for Leconte, but Yannick Noah had been dealt an even harsher blow. The Frenchman, who was having an outstanding clay swing and was in similar form to when he won the title in 1983, suffered a silly injury just before the tournament, when he dropped a trunk on his foot at the airport. Despite putting on a brave face and getting through the first three rounds, his injury worsened over the first week of the tournament and he was forced to retire in the fourth round against Kriek.

It was a missed opportunity for the French players: with Jimmy Connors suspended and John McEnroe still on sabbatical, it had looked like a golden opportunity for a home win. But in the end, Ivan Lendl proved too hard to beat.

Dates: 26th May – 8th June 1986

Women’s singles final: C. Evert (USA) d. M. Navratilova (USA) 2-6 6-3 6-3

Men’s singles final: I. Lendl (TCH) d. M. Pernfors (SUE) 6-3 6-2 6-4