Los Angeles, California - Eighteen-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert says her "relentless" ovarian cancer has returned for a third time and she will soon start chemotherapy to combat the disease.

Evert (71) said she would step back from professional duties, including broadcast duties at Wimbledon.

"I have always believed in being open and honest about my health journey," the tennis icon said in a post on X.

"This past weekend, after undergoing CT and PET scans, I learned that my ovarian cancer has returned.

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"I have already undergone surgery as the first step in my treatment and recovery, and will begin chemotherapy in the coming weeks.

"Because of this, I will not be attending Wimbledon this year, and I will step back from my professional commitments over the next few months to focus on my health.

"Ovarian cancer is relentless, but I will stay optimistic and determined in continuing to fight this battle," Evert said.

Evert said in January of 2022 that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. That was two years after her younger sister, Jeanne Evert Dubin, died of the same disease at the age of 62.

In December 2023, Evert revealed the cancer had recurred.

Evert was a dominant figure in women's tennis in the 1970s, earning 157 WTA singles titles and reaching at least the semifinals in 52 of 56 Grand Slam tournaments in which she played.

Only Serena Williams with 23 and Steffi Graf with 22 have won more Grand Slam women's singles titles than Evert in the Open era, her 18 putting her tied with great rival Martina Navratilova.

She has remained a prominent figure in the sport as a television commentator and a mentor to talented young players navigating the early stages of their WTA careers.