"I have that platform of having experienced cancer": Evert wants to speak out amid cancer battle ahead of return to Roland Garros

Chris Evert will be back in Paris this year as an analyst and it's her first time back in the city after 2019 with the pandemic and her cancer battles main reasons why she didn't go.

In an essay for Eurosport, Evert spoke about being able to return to Paris this year as part of the Eurosport team that will cover the event. She wrote:

"I have not been back to Paris since 2019. First of all, Covid came and there was a year where hardly anyone was able to go, and then I had cancer and went through chemotherapy. I was just happy to be doing video calls for Eurosport with Mats Wilander and Barbara Schett, and feeling like a part of the team, but it wasn't exactly the same thing as actually being in Paris and feeling the atmosphere, seeing the red clay and the city, and really feeling the excitement and anticipation around Roland-Garros."

Being in Paris for tennis is great enough for Evert but she generally enjoys the city very much. Not just Roland Garros, but also many of the other attractions as well:

"Paris is the most beautiful city in the world. I always enjoy going back to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Sacre Coeur, the landmarks that I used to go to when I was playing. Even though I have been to Paris many times, it always makes me feel alive and adventurous. Instead of feeling like I'm a Parisian, I think I'm lucky enough to still be able to come to this magnificent city and I feel privileged having played at this iconic tournament."

Turning her attention to Roland Garros, Evert said:

"Roland-Garros is very special. All of France is fully engaged in watching this spectacle, this historical tournament. It is very much like Wimbledon in that respect. You can feel that even as a spectator. The crowds are really enthusiastic and know their tennis. I sometimes visualise myself out there feeling the butterflies and the adrenaline in my body, doing what was necessary to win. Today, the game is much different with the power and the athleticism, but the atmosphere is still the same as when I made my first appearance in Paris 50 years ago."