Evonne Goolagong Cawley

Biography

Evonne Goolagong Cawley played tennis with a fluidity that earned her the nickname "Sunshine Super Girl." The first Indigenous Australian to win a Grand Slam, she grew up in the small town of Barellan, New South Wales, learning the game on a court her coach Vic Edwards built for her. Her style was graceful and instinctive, her movement around the court almost balletic, producing winners that seemed to appear from nowhere. Four consecutive Australian Open titles from 1974 to 1977 established her dominance at home, while her 1971 Wimbledon victory at age 19 announced her arrival on the world stage. The most remarkable chapter came in 1980, when she returned to Wimbledon as a 29-year-old mother and won the title again - nine years after her first. That victory remains one of the great comeback stories in tennis. A Wiradjuri woman who broke barriers simply by being herself, Goolagong proved that grace and power were not mutually exclusive.

Career Highlights

• 7 Grand Slam singles titles
• 4 consecutive Australian Open titles (1974-77)
• 2 Wimbledon titles (1971, 1980)
• French Open champion (1971)
• First Indigenous Australian Grand Slam winner

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