Australian legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley is about to have a good time the fiftieth anniversary of her first Australian Open singles identify this summer time.
Melbourne, Australia, 16 November 2023 | Tennis Australia
Australian tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley can be honoured at Australian Open 2024 to have a good time the fiftieth anniversary of her first AO singles identify in 1974.
“Evonne Goolagong Cawley is a real legend of our sport and an Australian icon. She is a family title famend no longer just for her tennis prowess, however for her grace, humility, and provoking paintings with Indigenous younger other folks thru her basis for a few years,” Australian Open Event Director Craig Tiley mentioned.
“Evonne has impressed numerous others, specifically younger Indigenous other folks, to pursue their goals and proceed their training, whether or not thru tennis, recreation or different endeavours. We really feel very proud to honour and have a good time Evonne at Australian Open 2024.”
At the celebrations, Goolagong Cawley mentioned: “It’s very thrilling to be honoured at Australian Open 2024. I will be able to’t moderately imagine it’s been 50 years since I first received the ladies’s identify there. I’ve such a lot of nice recollections enjoying on the Australian Open, the place I may just all the time depend on having the give a boost to of the house crowd. It’ll be superb to re-live those recollections with circle of relatives, pals and fanatics.”
As a part of the celebrations, Tennis Australia has collaborated with Lyn-Al Younger, a famend Gunnai, Wiradjuri, Gunditjmara and Yorta Yorta artist and fashion designer to create a commemorative products vary honouring Goolagong Cawley, a proud Wiradjuri lady.
The variability can be to be had from the AO Superstore on-site and on-line, and contours putting designs that inform the tale of Evonne’s existence and profession.
“To me, Evonne embodies sunshine. She radiates pleasure, goodness and hope and when other folks see the commemorative vary, I’m hoping they really feel the heat and positivity that Evonne radiates. Past celebrating her achievements, I sought after the variability to honour who she is, what she stands for, her spirit and her circle of relatives,” says Lyn-Al Younger.
“Spending time with Evonne used to be an overly particular enjoy and one I believe blessed to have had. The relationship we had used to be past what you’d usually have in a certified context; it used to be a cultural, religious and circle of relatives connection, and a in reality gorgeous dating has pop out of it.”
Younger’s surprising designs can be featured in a large-scale mural at the steps from Lawn Sq. between RLA and MCA, some of the outstanding assembly spots on the Australian Open. The paintings will characteristic the quote “Have a wonderful day”, which Goolagong Cawley fondly remembers as her mum Melinda’s favorite announcing.
“Each day once I left house, irrespective of the place I used to be travelling, or the dimensions or degree of the match I used to be enjoying, Mum would all the time say “Have a wonderful day,” Goolagong Cawley remembers. The enduring quote can be featured all over the precinct and within the specifically designed products vary.
Goolagong Cawley has additionally been decided on because the Australian legend to be featured at the AO 2024 coin, which can be tossed prior to every fit on the Australian Open and all over the Summer season of Tennis.
Goolagong Cawley, at the side of many kids concerned within the Evonne Goolagong Basis, will take part in First Countries Day, to be hung on Wednesday 17 January.
> BUY NOW: Australian Open 2024 tickets
A real champion of the sport, following her AO 1974 identify Goolagong Cawley went directly to be the Australian Open ladies’s champion in each singles and doubles for the following 3 consecutive years, after additionally successful doubles in 1971.
Over the process her profession, Goolagong Cawley received seven Grand Slam singles titles, six ladies’s double titles and one blended doubles identify, making her some of the a success avid gamers within the historical past of the sport.
Along with her implausible legacy as a participant, Goolagong Cawley is famend for her paintings working the Goolagong Nationwide Construction Camp and Evonne Goolagong Basis, which makes use of tennis as a car to advertise higher well being, training and employment for younger Indigenous other folks.
Goolagong Cawley used to be awarded Australian of the 12 months in 1971, appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1972 and made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1982. In 1985 she used to be inducted into the Game Australia Corridor of Popularity. In 1988 Goolagong Cawley used to be inducted into the World Tennis Corridor of Popularity and used to be one in every of early inductees into the Australian Tennis Corridor of Popularity, the place a bronze bust in her likeness used to be put in in 1994.
In 2018, she used to be complicated to a Better half of the Order of Australia “for eminent carrier to tennis as a participant on the nationwide and global degree, as an envoy, supporter and recommend for the well being, training and wellbeing of younger Indigenous other folks thru participation in recreation and as a job type.”
She used to be offered along with her medal by way of the Governor Common on Rod Laver Area previous to the Australian Open ladies’s singles ultimate.
To find your option to play: Seek advice from play.tennis.com.au to get out on court docket and feature some amusing!
