Chris and Martina: The Final Set review – tennis titans discuss their deep bond and intense rivalry

The documentary "Chris and Martina: The Final Set" explores the profound friendship and intense rivalry between tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. The film highlights their decades-long relationship, which saw them dominate women's tennis throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, significantly boosting the sport's popularity. It also depicts their current bond as they support each other through cancer treatments, underscoring the possibility of genuine friendship within the competitive world of professional sports. A significant portion of the narrative delves into Navratilova's courageous defection from communist Czechoslovakia to the United States in 1975 at the age of 18, a move that carried the risk of never seeing her family again and potential abduction by security forces. The documentary suggests that while their friendship is authentic, it possesses a complexity that may not be fully captured in the film. The review notes that Navratilova's defection story is a particularly compelling element, contrasting her youthful bravery with later defectors like ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev and chess player Viktor Korchnoi.