U.S. tennis great Chris Evert was on hand this week to open the refurbishment of a public tennis center for kids in Guadalajara that will bear her name.

Chris Evert gives a youngster some advice at the reopening of the Escuela Municipal de Tenis in Guadalajara’s Colonia Jardines del Sur this week.

“I also started in a public space,” said Evert, who signed tennis balls for the children present. “It is an expensive sport, and it is incredible that the authorities here are making it available to the entire community.”

Pablo Lemus, the mayor of Guadalajara, said the center will charge a nominal one peso for children to have their initial classes in the sport. The center hopes to teach around 400 children the rudiments of the game, as well as host tournaments for more accomplished players.

“Sport can change the [lives] of our girls and our boys. Those who take up a tennis racket and play in the future will surely never take up a firearm,” Lemus said.

Guadalajara City Hall has spent around 15 million pesos renovating the rundown Escuela Municipal de Tenis de Guadalajara, located in the Unidad Deportiva Isla Raza in Colonia Jardines del Sur.  More funds are earmarked for further expansion of the facilities.

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova (left) posted this photo on her Twitter account of herself and fellow star Chris Evert taking a ceramics painting class in GuadTennis legend Martina Navratilova (left) posted this photo on her Twitter account of herself and fellow star Chris Evert taking a ceramics painting class in Guadalajara. Both were the “ambassadors” of the WTA Finals.