The number one women's tennis player, Ash Barty, was presented with a wombat trophy carved by Wamba Wamba man Ron Murray, causing many to remark on the significance of an Indigenous tennis player holding a trophy made by an Indigenous artist.
Ron Murray has previously made art pieces for Muhammad Ali, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) and Sir Bob Geldof amongst others.
"Grateful to be doing what I love," Barty, a proud Ngaragu woman, tweeted along with a picture of her holding up the trophy.
The trophies for this year's Melbourne Summer Series were designed by local Indigenous artists, with each singles champion trophy aligned to a native animal.
The wombat's significance was because: "Aboriginal people believed he held the knowledge above ground and below."
Barty has about being "an extremely proud Indigenous woman" who works to give back to her community.
Barty has been working with young Indigenous tennis players to help them hone their skills and a $115,000 grant to Indigenous tennis in Queensland last year.
