“Hope for a Better Future”- Chris Evert Mourns the Loss of Pope Francis With a Moving Farewell Message

On April 21, 2025, the world witnessed the solemn passing of Pope Francis, 88, within the Vatican’s venerable walls. His long-standing respiratory ailments, a quiet struggle, culminated in his departure. Since 2013, his papacy, marked by compassion and a fervent call for social justice, profoundly shaped the Church. Now, a global wave of mourning echoes, a testament to his profound impact on hearts worldwide. Even former WTA pro Chris Evert joins in to say a few words.

Evert felt a deep connection to the Pope’s message and leadership. She penned a moving message on social media, expressing her gratitude for Pope Francis’s welcoming nature throughout his 12 years of papacy. She wrote, “Rip Pope Francis; Thank you for opening your arms to all of us. Thank you for addressing issues that were never before discussed in the Catholic Church. Thank you for your compassion and hope for a better future.”

The tennis star being hit hard by Pope Francis’s demise doesn’t come as a surprise. The 18-time Grand Slam champion has been open about “growing up in a very strict, Catholic, God-fearing environment.” In fact, she attended Catholic school for 12 years before becoming a professional tennis player.

Rip Pope Francis; Thank you for opening your arms to all of us. Thank you for addressing issues that were never before discussed in the Catholic Church. Thank you for your compassion and hope for a better future.

— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) April 22, 2025

Despite her traditional upbringing, Chris Evert wasn’t alone in finding inspiration in Pope Francis’s groundbreaking leadership. The Pope’s focus on social justice, environmental action, and making the Church more inclusive truly shook things up at the Vatican—and people from all walks of life noticed.

Not to mention, Pope Francis was a huge sports fan. While everyone knows about his passion for soccer, he also had a soft spot for tennis. Just last year, he congratulated Italian star Jannik Sinner after his historic Australian Open win, making Sinner the first Italian man in nearly 50 years to claim a Grand Slam singles title.

During an audience with the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, the Pope reflected, “Tennis, while often perceived as a competition to outplay an opponent, can also be a form of dialogue and personal growth.” He added, “We cannot always win,” but the real growth, he said, is in the journey.

The impact of Pope Francis’s passing was felt far beyond the Vatican walls. Italy hit pause on all sports events scheduled for Easter Monday, including top-flight soccer matches, as a mark of respect. The Italian Olympic Committee also announced a minute of silence before all sporting events later in the week—a powerful gesture that showed just how much the Pope meant to the sporting world.

Evert’s gesture stands out as she has been quite vocal about her upbringing in her catholic household.

Chris speaks out about how she’s grown as a person after joining professional tennis

Chris Evert opened up in a 1990 interview with Bob Costas about how twelve years in Catholic school made her suppress her true self. “Going to Catholic school for 12 years, this sort of suppresses you a little bit,” she said. But once she joined the pro tennis tour, she finally felt free. “I told my parents at 19, please stay home—I want to do this on my own. That’s when I started to find my own personality and my own niche. And I tell a lot of dirty jokes. I can’t help it,” she shared with a smile.

When asked about the hardest part of being a legend, Evert spoke honestly about the pressure of fame as a teenager. “Very sensitive to criticism and judgment. Trying to navigate that from age 15 when I started to be successful worldwide. It’s not easy to be famous when you haven’t developed your personality or character yet,” she explained. It’s a challenge many young stars face, she noted.

Evert also reflected on how parenting in tennis has changed. Unlike today’s constant positive encouragement, her generation was told to “be a lady in public” and avoid mistakes. She mentioned Serena Williams’s father, Richard Williams, as an example of a parent who always boosted his kids’ confidence. “I remember always reading about Richard Williams and all of the tennis parents basically saying, always telling their kids how great they were, and you can be anything you want to be, and just totally having positive reinforcement all the time. But again, in our culture, it wasn’t that way,” she said softly, highlighting the difference.

Now, the tennis world continues to mourn the passing of Pope Francis. Even Rafael Nadal, though not religious, expressed his condolences sincerely: “Today is a sad day. I would like to express my sincere condolences on the passing of Pope Francis. May he rest in peace.” Which just goes to show that, even in loss, the pope’s message of compassion continues to inspire and bring people together around the world.

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