Chris & Martina: The Final Set Review — Is Netflix’s Tennis Doc Worth Watching?

Some rivalries fade with time. Others turn into something far more beautiful. Netflix’s new documentary explores how Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, two of tennis’ fiercest competitors, became lifelong allies after 15 years and 80 matches across the 1970s and ’80s. Their story didn’t just shape women’s tennis — it laid the blueprint for stars like Serena and Venus Williams, Iga Świątek, and Naomi Osaka.

What’s the Documentary About?

Directed by Rebecca Gitlitz, Chris & Martina: The Final Set chronicles both their careers and the evolution of their friendship, contrasting their fierce competitive past with the present-day reality of facing cancer treatment around the same time. It’s part sports history, part deeply personal portrait.

Chris & Martina: Overview

Is It Worth Watching?

The doc leans on a familiar format — talking heads and archival footage — but Gitlitz’s immersive direction, capturing the two discussing their careers while going about daily life, gives it real authenticity. Most of the supporting voices, aside from John McEnroe, are women, which adds depth to how the era’s tennis culture was perceived. Al Jazeera + 2

The emotional core arrives later: Evert was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021, and Navratilova with breast and throat cancer around 2023, and the present-day footage captures their fear alongside a deeply supportive, loving bond. Al Jazeera

One gentle critique — the film spends much of its runtime on career history rather than their present-day journey, though it builds to a genuinely heartfelt payoff once it gets there.

A Story Bigger Than Tennis

The documentary also examines the misogyny surrounding women’s tennis and the double standards both players faced from the press — Evert as America’s beloved sweetheart, Navratilova as an immigrant under constant tabloid scrutiny. It’s a layer that elevates the film beyond a simple sports retrospective. Al Jazeera

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