It is a little ironic that Chris Evert and Greg Norman announced their engagement in South Africa at the South African Open golf championships where Norman was competing.
Back in 1973, shortly after both Evert and beau Jimmy Connors returned from South Africa after sweeping the women’s and men’s singles title at the South African Open tennis tournament, Evert announced her first engagement to Connors.
In his soon to be released book THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS (www.newchapterpressmedia.com), Collins notes that upon returning from the South African Open, Evert was “flashing a South African diamond.” Evert and Connors were to be married on November 8, 1974, but the marriage was called off.
Evert later married British tennis player John Lloyd in 1979. That marriage ended in divorce in 1987. Evert then married Olympic skier Andy Mill in 1988. The couple had three boys before divorcing on November 13, 2006. Evert won 18 major singles titles, including a record seven French Open titles, six US Open titles, three Wimbledon titles and two Australian Open titles.
