'MISS,' 'MRS.' DROPPED FROM WIMBLEDON CHAMP BOARD

Chris Evert appreciates that she, Serena Williams and other Wimbledon women's singles champions will now be listed on the All England Club's honor boards in a Centre Court hallway simply by their first initial and last name — the way the men's title winners always have been — instead of preceded by “Miss” or “Mrs.”

Evert won three of her 18 career Grand Slam singles trophies at Wimbledon; until now, the entry for her 1981 championship has shown her name as “Mrs. J.M. Lloyd,” in reference to her husband at that time, John Lloyd. For her earlier titles in 1974 and 1976, before that marriage, she was listed as “Miss C.M. Evert.”

“I am pleased the All England Club has changed the names. It was outdated and women should be treated equally with the men, as we are with equal prize money,” Evert wrote in a text message to The Associated Press on Friday. “I have always used my maiden name in tennis. I began my career, became a champion, and ended my career as Chris Evert! As proud as I was to be married to John at the time, it was my name that deserved to be on the honor board!!!”

The switch to the women's honor board has been completed, a spokeswoman for the All England Club confirmed to the AP via email on Friday. The intention to alter the way women's names are displayed was first reported by The Times of London.

Williams' name, for example, appears seven times on the green boards with gold lettering, once for each of her singles championships at the grass-court Grand Slam tennis tournament, and each entry has read “Miss S. Williams.”