Press release EUROSPORT ANNOUNCES THE SIGNING OF TENNIS LEGEND CHRIS EVERT FOR FRENCH OPEN --Evert to be featured in new pan-European show “Tennis for Evert,” Serve as British Eurosport on-Air Commentator for Women’s Final and Make Guest Appearances across the Channel-- Global tennis icon Chris Evert is set to join Eurosport’s 2015 French Open commentary team in a move that further confirms Europe’s leading sports network as the premiere destination for tennis. Evert, a former World n °1 and 18-time Grand Slam winner, will feature across Eurosport’s coverage of the tournament, which runs from 24 May to 7 June. The schedule will provide European fans with exclusive in-depth coverage, live from Roland Garros in Paris. During the tournament Evert will headline in a brand new show ‘Tennis For Evert’, which will air exclusively on the channel and will be hosted by Barbara Schett, former world n °7 and long-standing Eurosport pundit. Broadcasting from the heart of the action in Eurosport’s on-site Roland Garros studio, Evert - herself a record seven-time French Open winner - will provide viewers with her unmatched expertise and insight into the mind-set and game plans of the tournament’s competitors. Chris Evert said: “As one of the most respected sports channels in the world, Eurosport is famous for its exciting and innovative coverage of tennis Grand Slams. Roland Garros holds a special place in my heart – it’s where I won my first and my final 18th Grand Slam title. I am therefore honoured to be a part of the Eurosport team, and share with viewers my insights to understand the game, the champions and the rising stars.” Press release continued… As the tournament reaches the Women’s Final on 6 June, Evert will cover the match live for British Eurosport. She will also join triple French Open winner Mats Wilander, another of Eurosport’s world-class stars, in his show ‘Game, Set and Mats’ to provide pre and post-match analysis of the Women’s Final for viewers across Europe. “We are delighted that Chris will be joining Eurosport during this year's French Open. To have one of the true legends of the game as part of our group of experts is a great opportunity for us and a sign of our investment in the quality of our production moving forward,” said Peter Hutton, Chief Executive Officer, Eurosport. “We’re proud of the comprehensive coverage we deliver to fans - now greater than ever thanks to our increased live coverage from the Roland Garros courts via Eurosport Player, which gives fans an extended access-all-areas pass to the tournament on their PC, mobile phone or tablet.” Over the duration of the tournament Eurosport and Eurosport 2 will broadcast 400 hours of programming, with exclusive coverage in key markets including Spain, Italy, Poland, Russia, Romania, Scandinavia and Turkey. Last year Eurosport delivered record ratings for the 2014 French Open, capturing its highest average live audience in 25 years of broadcasting from Roland Garros. Maria Sharapova’s victory over Simona Halep became the most-watched women’s tennis match in Eurosport history with an average live audience of 3.8 million European viewers, while Eurosport attracted 60.7 million European viewers throughout the tournament. The best tennis is served up on Eurosport every year with the extensive live broadcast of the Australian, French and US Opens every year. This coverage is enhanced by a selection of ATP and WTA tournaments delivering fans a total of 2,300 hours of tennis coverage on Eurosport and Eurosport 2. Biography Christine Marie "Chris" Evert Born : 21 December 1954 Birthplace : Fort Lauderdale, Florida Best known as : 1970s tennis champ dubbed "The Ice Maiden" Chris Evert was a women's tennis champion between 1974 and 1986, famous for her poise on court and her powerful two-fisted backhand. Evert grew up playing tennis with her father in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. When she was 15 years old she landed in the spotlight with a win over the top-ranked woman in tennis, Margaret Court. The next year she made it to the semi-finals of the U.S. Open; she lost to Billie Jean King, but Chrissie's skill and maturity on the court made the tenacious teen a crowd favourite. Her cool demeanour on the court earned her the nicknames "Ice Princess" and "Ice Maiden," but her easy charm off the court made her famous beyond the sports pages. She had a two-year romance with tennis champ Jimmy Connors that only heightened her celebrity. Throughout the late '70s Evert was one of the sport's dominant players, and her charisma and a thrilling rivalry with Martina Navratilova helped popularise women's tennis (the two faced each other 80 times; Navratilova ended up with a 43-37 advantage). Prior to her retirement in 1989, Evert achieved 157 singles titles, 8 doubles titles and a career total of 18 Grand Slam singles titles. She won the French Open a record seven times, the US Open six times, Wimbledon three times and the Australian Open twice. Evert also holds a record 125 consecutive wins on clay courts, a streak broken in 1979 by Tracy Austin. About Eurosport & Roland Garros First broadcast in 1989, the French Open was one of the first major events to be shown on Eurosport. Today, coverage has evolved and we now deliver a state of the art offer for tennis fans. Roland Garros was the first Grand Slam tournament to join the "Open" era in 1968, and since then the greatest players of the game have graced the famous red clay courts. The Tournament has always been at the forefront of Eurosport’s new broadcasting technologies: from HD, 3D, and online digital streaming, all supported by exclusive insight and analysis shows from seven-time Grand Slam winner Mats Wilander, Eurosport has transformed the viewing experience for sports fans and set new quality standards for all sport broadcasting. In 2015, our French Open coverage will be bigger and better than ever. As the exclusive broadcaster in 13 markets, Eurosport will offer the most comprehensive coverage to fans with 400 hours of broadcast, 200 hours of live action and Eurosport Player, Eurosport’s online simulcast TV service, delivering live access to up to 16 courts every day. Eurosport – the premier tennis destination The very best tennis is served up on Eurosport. With live and extensive coverage of the Australian, French and US Opens, as well as selected ATP and WTA tournaments, all supported by exclusive shows featuring expert insight and analysis from seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander, Eurosport is the premier destination for tennis fans. Grand Slam Tournaments – LIVE - Australian Open, Rod Laver Arena - Melbourne, 19 January – 1 February - French Open, Roland Garros - Paris, 24 May – 7 June - US Open, Flushing Meadows – New York, 31 August – 13 September Eurosport delivers over 200 hours of live TV action at each Grand Slam. With additional coverage available on Eurosport Player, fans can enjoy all the action with expert analysis from Eurosport’s world-class commentary team. From Mats Wilander, Marion Bartoli, Barbara Schett, Henri Leconte, Patrick Mouratoglou and Chris Evert – Eurosport’s team of experts offer unrivalled insight and understand of the game to deliver the ultimate fan experience. Eurosport – the premier tennis destination ATP & WTA Tournaments – LIVE Eurosport broadcast a selection of ATP and WTA tournaments. From Doha to Nurnberg, viewers can watch the world’s greatest players perform on a wide range of surfaces. ATP Doha, Qatar 5-11 January WTA Katowice, Poland 6-12 April ATP Estoril, Portugal. 27 April – 3 May WTA Nurnberg, Germany. 18-23 May ATP Geneva, Switzerland. 18-23 May WTA Nottingham, UK*. 8-14 June ATP Stuttgart, Germany. 8-14 June ATP Nottingham, UK*. 22-27 June WTA Linz, Austria. 12-18 October WTA Luxemburg. 19-26 October *Not broadcast in the UK Exclusive Shows Seven-time Grand Slam winner Mats Wilander has been an important element of Eurosport’s tennis coverage since 2007. The Swedish former world number one brings his expert insight and analysis in Game, Set and Mats , a special on-site show broadcast during the Grand Slams. Wilander also features in Mats Point , a monthly show featuring exclusive interviews with the world’s top players. Chris Evert high res images: https://hermes.eurosport.com?token=1624-NEW9K2V3375WD Tennis for Evert video teaser: https://vimeo.com/eurosportmedia/chrisevert.