Tennis Australia is celebrating the longstanding impacts of one of our greatest ever players, by renaming the annual Australian Open First Nations Day events after her.
Held on the lands of the Wurundjeri people, the Australian Open is one of the world's biggest annual tennis events.
With the sport's best focusing global attention down under, it's responsible for putting many of our local athletes on the map.
As one of the luminaries of the game, national icon Goolagong Cawley needs no such exposure.
Changing the rules of the game since she stepped onto the court, Cawley went from winning the NSW state championships at 15 to retiring with 13 major championship titles to her name.
Alongside being the first Indigenous woman to break into the sport at an elite level, she also became the first non-white person to play in apartheid South Africa in 1972.
Goolagong Cawley has most recently been recognised for her role in mentoring Ngarigo woman, Ash Barty, all the way to world No. 1.
Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, with John Newcombe, poses with the men's and women's trophies ahead of the first round matches at the Australian Open. Source: AP / Vincent Thian/AP
Events include live performances from big names like Emily Wurramurra and activities for children and families like Kids on Court and Indigenous Outreach hip hop lessons.
Goolagong even joined in the fun on Wednesday meeting the kids on the court to hit a few balls.
These events align with the values of Goolagong Cawley's development camp that is dedicated to supporting young Indigenous tennis players to grow and succeed within the sport.
