In 'Chris & Martina,' a tennis rivalry and cancer battles are no match against friendship

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Set us as preferred The Wimbledon women’s finals will yield a new champion Saturday, but right now on Netflix, you can go back in time to explore the saga of two of the sport’s greatest stars in “Chris & Martina: The Final Set.”Chris Evert won Wimbledon three times among her 18 Grand Slams, and Martina Navratilova captured a record nine Wimbledon titles among her 18 Grand Slams.From 1973 through 1990, one or both were in the finals every year 16 times and they faced each other there nine times.While the film devotes plenty of attention to their 80 showdowns (60 were in finals), this is not your typical sports documentary: Beyond the story of each woman’s rise to greatness, it focuses more on recounting their developing camaraderie, which then developed into an icy rivalry before being reborn as a friendship for the ages.

Well DocumentedWith networks and streamers seeking to create compelling content, many have found the answer in true stories.But with the surge in documentaries, it can be hard to sift through what’s worth your time.

Each month, we provide an inside look at a documentary and others you should add to your queue.And the documentary is framed around each legend’s recent battles with cancer: Evert was treated for ovarian cancer in 2022 and again during filming in 2023, while Navratilova faced a recurrence of breast cancer as well as throat cancer in 2023.But the film’s hopeful ending has a bittersweet twist: In late June just before the documentary premiered, Evert stated she would not serve as an announcer at Wimbledon because her cancer had returned and she needed to begin treatment.Just a few days later, Navratilova spoke by phone about the film, the friendship and their cancer battles.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Sports Tennis legend Chris Evert is battling ovarian cancer for the third time.

Former on-court rivals Martina Navratilova and Billie Jea...