Evonne Goolagong

Early years

Evonne Goolagong Cawley was born on July 31, 1951, in Griffith, NSW, Australia. She was a member of the Wiradjuri people, and the first indigenous Australian to win a Wimbledon Tennis Championship in 1971. In fact, she is the first and only aboriginal Australian to become an international tennis player. Though she was aboriginal, racism was rampant against aborigines in her early years. She did not really identify as aboriginal until later in life. Aborigines were not even counted in the Australian population census. She was brought up as a white, despite having aboriginal blood in her. She became an international tennis star and champion, paving the way for other indigenous athletes (apart from boxers). Cathy Freeman, the indigenous Australian champion athlete would have had her as a mentor.

Evonne, like Cathy Freeman and many aborigines, grew up in poverty. Evonne was one of 8 children, born to a sheep shearer and his wife, Melinda. Barellin, a small country town, where Evonne spent most of her early years was wheat and sheep country near Sydney. Actually it was aboriginal country, but whites did not use such terms then.

Evonne's parents knew nothing of tennis, but a local called Bill Kurtzman noticed her watching tennis through the fence of the tennis courts. She went on to the court. Vic Edwards, from Sydney, was notified of her natural talent on the court by two of his assistants. He visited up country and saw her play. He noticed her potential. She had then, and retained a graceful style, which I have seen at Kooyong. She had speed, lightening reflexes and a good temperament.

Knowing that Evonne wouldn't be able to develop in the bush, Edwards convinced her parents to let her move to Sydney and move to Sydney to live with him. Evonne moved to his place in 1967 at the age of 13. Edwards coached her and raised her. She wasn't raised as an aboriginal and Evonne has spoken out about some difficulties she had with Edwards.

Edwards however had spotted the talent that would eventually result in two Wimbledon, one French, and four Australian championships and a 1988 posting to the Hall of Fame.

Her career

Evonne's rise was rapid. On her second world tour, in 1971, just before turning 20, Goolagong beat countrywoman Helen Gourlay to win the French. A month later, in her last act as a teenager, seeded third, she stunned defending champion and her girlhood idol, Margaret Court, in the Wimbledon final.

Called Sunshine Supergirl in London, she captivated crowds wherever she played with her graceful movement and gracious manner. She won Wimbledon again after 9 years, in 1980, her last tournament triumph beating Evert, the only Wimbledon singles championship to end in a tie-breaker.

By then she had married Englishman Roger Cawley and had the first of their two children. Thus she was the first mother to win since Dorothea Douglass Chambers 66 years before. At Wimbledon, Evonne was 49-9 in singles, 21-7 in doubles, 19-8 in mixed.

Evonne retires

Evonne retired after the 1983 season. She won the Virginia Slims championship in 1974 and 1976, both over Evert, and had career totals of 43 singles and nine doubles titles, and $1,399,431 in prize money.

She couldn't quite make it at the US Open, the only woman to lose the final four successive years, 1973 through 1976. Her most winning seasons were :1973 with nine titles, including wins over Evert in the Italian and Cincinnati finals and 1976, winning eight titles.

A seven-year mainstay of Australia's Federation Cup team, she led the way to Cups in 1971, 1973 and 1974 and finals in 1975 and 1976.

Later years

When she returned to Australia for her mother's funeral in 1991, she experienced an epiphany on seeing the rituals of her Aborigine people. "I realized that I had spent too much time away," says Goolagong, 46, who had left home at 13 to pursue her dream of a career in tennis. "I wanted to know who my parents were, who I was."

She returned to Australia to live in 1991 at Noosa Heads on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and has travelled around Australia, coming to understand the importance of her Aboriginal heritage and introducing her American born children to their indigenous culture. She was a member of the Board of the Australian Sports Commission from 1995-1997. Since 1997, she has held the position of Sports Ambassador to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Communities.

Since 2000 Goolagong Cawley (she now uses both names) has made an increasing commitment to Australian women's tennis, which has fallen on hard times in terms of the glamour international events, and was appointed captain of the Australian Federation Cup team in 2002. In 2003 she was winner for the Oceania region of the International Olympic Committee's 2003 Women and Sports Trophy.

Grand slam record

Australian Open Singles 1974-77 (4)
Singles finalist 1971-73
Doubles 1971, 1974-76, 77


French Open Singles 1971 (1)
Singles finalist 1972
Mixed finalist 1972


Wimbledon Open Singles 1971, 1980 (2)
Singles finalist 1972, 75, 76
Doubles 1974
Doubles finalist 1971
Mixed finalist 1972


USA Singles finalist 1973-76


Italian Singles 1973
Doubles finalist 1979
Fed Cup 1971-76, 1982