Evonne Goolagong Cawley Praises Ash Barty On Her Incredible Wimbledon Win

Ash Barty broke down in tears when she was asked what Evonne Goolagong Cawley meant to her after she won her first Wimbledon title on Saturday (July 10).

The Aussie tennis legend hoped she made her idol proud when she beat Karolína Plíšková 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 in a nail-biting final.

Cawley was the last Australian woman to win the Grand Slam all the way back in 1980 and it seems like she's pretty proud of Ash.

"Oh she certainly did," the former world number one said. "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."

A proud Wiradjuri woman, Ms Cawley has paid tribute to her 'little sister' for winning the Grand Slam during NAIDOC week.

She says she choked up watching Barty bring home the title and said it was so overwhelming to watch a young athlete compete at the top of her game with the whole world watching.

"Because everyone reacts differently when they win Wimbledon for the first time," Goolagong Cawley said. "It didn't hit me till later on because you actually turn numb. You're in shock, just as Ash was at the end there.

"We were just so excited. Dreams do come true."

During the tournament, Ash was setting her sights on the final and honoured Ms Cawley by wearing an outfit similar to the one she wore during her Wimbledon final.

Ms Cawley added that she is so proud when people compare Barty to herself and hopes she continues on her path to greatness.

"She's a great Australian. Everybody loves her. Every time I go out shopping everybody asks me about Ash. How's Ash going? Isn't she wonderful? Yes she is," Evonne said.

"Ash to me is like a little sister and part of my family. So I think we treat each other that way. It's amazing that she won her first grand slam at the French. That was my first grand slam and that same year I won Wimbledon in 1971.

"It's just magical when you achieve that dream and I'm sure it's magical for her, too."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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