Tennis legend and Wiradjuri woman Evonne Goolagong Cawley has paid a heartfelt tribute to Ash Barty following her compatriot's stirring Wimbledon final triumph overnight.
Barty's nerve-wracking 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 victory over Czech Karolina Pliskova came 10 years after she won the Wimbledon girls' singles title at just 15 and exactly 50 years after Goolagong Cawley hoisted the Venus Rosewater Dish for the first time.
In a poignant gesture to her Indigenous idol and mentor, Barty wore a FILA dress inspired by Goolagong's 1971 Wimbledon outfit, designed by the famous Ted Tinling who revolutionised tennis fashion, throughout her glorious campaign.
"I hope I made Evonne proud," Barty said during her emotional victory speech at The All England Club.
Goolagong Cawley left her in no doubt.
"Oh she certainly did," she said from her home on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Sunday.
"She made me proud from the first time I saw Ash. She must have been about 13.
"She was playing at the Australian Open and (my husband) Roger and I stayed and watched for a bit and we saw one whole point where she showed all the skills.
"She did the slice, the volley, the smash. Everything in one game and we both just looked at each other and thought 'oh, she's got it, she's going to be our next champion'.
"So look at her now."
