Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Tennis greats talk careers, sacrifices; swearing, illness.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
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Where to Watch
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Chris & Martina: The Final Act
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
The court battles between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, remembered in CHRIS & MARTINA: THE FINAL ACT, will go down as one of the great athletic rivalries of all time. Their rivalry also resulted in a great friendship, which served them recently when they both faced cancer diagnoses and supported each other through treatments. The documentary follows them through their cancer journeys and interviews them about their professional careers. It weaves in archive footage, media coverage, and commentaries from family, friends, journalists, and fellow tennis pros.
Is It Any Good?
There's significant emotion to be found here in Evert and Navratilova's parallel stories, from tennis rivalry to mutual support through illness. Chris & Martina: The Final Act director Rebecca Gitlitz knows this, and she gives each era equal attention (though transitions between the two time periods could have been handled more deftly in a couple of cases). It was courageous of these two former tennis titans to be filmed in moments of such vulnerability—receiving cancer diagnoses and treatments, and in Evert's case, revealing her bald head post-chemo.
But equally brave is facing their individual and joint past with such honesty. Evert admits to depression and questionable sacrifices, including friends and husbands, to "be number one." Navratilova talks about how she was mistreated by the press as a lesbian and a foreign national. It's a hoot to watch them sit together and react to matches they played. One quibble: why call this "the final act" when both women have been declared cancer free and clearly have much more living to do? They deserve better.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how sportsmanship and friendship are intertwined for the two subjects of Chris & Martina: The Final Set.
In what ways do Evert and Navratilova both demonstrate perseverance in their lives? How does that character strength serve them as young tennis professionals and again as women facing illness and older age?
John McEnroe says in an interview that the fun part of a top tennis career is getting to number one; the hard part comes after that. How was that true for Chris and Martina, according to the stories told in this film?
Evert and Navratilova are described as athletes of "generational greatness." What other generationally great athletes can you think of? Did their rivalry remind you of any other great rivalries?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : June 26, 2026
- Cast : Chris Evert , Martina Navratilova , Billie Jean King
- Director : Rebecca Gitlitz
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Competition , Friendship , History , Sports ( Tennis )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
- Run time : 97 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : July 1, 2026
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