Ever heard a love story that started with a chance encounter in a Paris nightclub? That’s how it began for tennis legend Martina Navratilova and Julia Lemigova. They met briefly in 2000, then their paths crossed again eight years later at the French Open. From there, a friendship blossomed, leading to a proposal at the US Open in 2014, and a beautiful wedding later that year. Ten years on, they’re still going strong, with two adopted sons and a close friendship with none other than Chris Evert!

On February 15th, Lemigova shared glimpses of their special day on Instagram, featuring cozy moments with their dog Loulou and their friend Sami Gayle, who joined them for an anniversary lunch. Evert, ever the supportive friend, couldn’t help but gush over them.

“Still crazy about each other! ❤️ So happy for you!” Evert commented on the post.

Julia Lemigova, a former Russian beauty queen, was hoping her initial glance at Martina Navratilova that first night in Paris had made her interest clear. “I looked at her and gave her a look across the bar: ‘You have to come and talk to me,’” she recalled in a 2023 interview. “It was a second and I turned away. She received the message. She came to talk to me and introduced herself. But unfortunately, that was the end of our moment. Something could have happened, but it didn’t.” While that first meeting didn’t ignite any immediate sparks, fate had other plans.

Eight years later, on the very same day they’d initially met, their paths crossed once more. “We bumped into each other in the players’ restaurant,” Lemigova told the New York Post in 2022. “I literally bumped into her with a tray of food. She remembered me. And I asked her to have breakfast with me the next day. Then we had another breakfast the next day and then one more breakfast. And then she moved in.”

After dating for 6 years, Navratilova popped the question on camera at the US Open. “Originally it wasn’t the idea to do it at the US Open, on the Jumbotron and all that, but then it was, ‘Why not? I’ve seen it in movies!‘ ” Navratilova told People in 2014. The couple married in a private ceremony with Chris Evert as Navratilova’s maid of honor.

Meanwhile, Martina and Chris’ bond has grown beyond the sport that brought them together. They met at Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1973, where Navratilova played her first-career tournament. Though Evert doesn’t remember it clearly, the ex Czech- American tennis pro remembers how she greeted Evert but got little reply as Evert was busy playing a game of backgammon.

Over the years, the friendship has only grown as Navratilova celebrated Evert’s 70th birthday last year in December. She wrote a heartfelt message on X for her. It said, “Happy 70th today to my friend, nemesis, partner and most of all an amazing, strong, resilient and compassionate woman, champion of champions! Lots of love, m. Here is looking at you, kid:)”

The iconic duo has celebrated wins, mourned losses, and stood by each other through life’s biggest moments. And when life threw them its toughest curveballs, they showed up for each other in ways that went far beyond tennis.

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert’s friendship through the years

Between 2021 and 2023, both tennis icons faced battles tougher than any match they ever played. In 2021, Chris Evert was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She underwent a hysterectomy, and by May 2022, she was declared cancer-free. Just when it seemed like things were looking up, Martina Navratilova received devastating news.

In 2022, she was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer. She had already fought breast cancer once in 2010, but this time, the battle was even tougher. She underwent radiation and chemotherapy, and by 2023, she had beaten cancer once again. Through it all, Evert was there, proving that their bond went far beyond tennis.

Evert was there to check in on Navratilova’s health, just as Navratilova had done for her. They understood what the other was going through in a way few could. In a 2023 interview with The Washington Post, Navratilova and Evert reflected on their decades-long friendship. They first met as teenagers, grew into rivals, and then became something much bigger—lifelong friends.

“I saw her at her highest and her at her lowest. And I think because we saw each other that way, the vulnerable part, I think that was, like, you know, that’s another level of friendship,” Evert shared during the interview.

From sharing Grand Slam finals to standing together through life’s toughest challenges, Navratilova and Evert’s story is proof that even the fiercest rivalries can turn into the strongest friendships.