When Australian Ashleigh Barty realised her long-kept dream of holding aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish after a well-fought final against Karolina Pliskova, the emotion was there for all to see on Centre Court, as well as among the millions who watched the match live on their television sets. She had paid the ultimate tribute to her mentor, fellow Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley who was the last Australian woman to have won the title [twice, 1970 and 1981]. There is another, deeper connection between the two women that made the win extra special. Goolagong Cawley is an indigenous Australian, while Barty’s father, Robert, is part of the Ngarigo people, an aboriginal people who belong to New South Wales.

In support of her people

In her first round of this year’s Championships, Barty’s tennis apparel sported a design inspired by the same dress worn by the legend herself during her Wimbledon victories. The dainty pattern added a sentimental touch to proceedings at SW19, automatically grabbing the eyeballs of the history-crazed British public and press. And so by the time, she lifted the coveted trophy after Katherine, the Duchess of Cambridge handed it over to her, substantial column space and air time had already been devoted over two weeks, discussing her indigenous roots and how apart from creating women’s tennis history with each win, her support for her people back in Australia deserved applause. Soon, clips from documentaries and websites highlighting Barty’s efforts to popularise tennis among the aboriginal community, especially young girls, did the rounds on social media. When she, like her mentor, conquered the grass courts of Wimbledon, they managed to keep that spirit alive and also automatically, give an impetus to Barty’s work, as well as Goolagong Cawley’s project, to use sport as a tool to empower the community.