Culture

Evonne Goolagong Cawley Just Congratulated Ash Barty On Becoming World Number One

Get the #BartyParty started.

by Sam Langford  24 June 2019
Ash Barty

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Australian tennis player and Ngarigo woman Ash Barty is now ranked number one in the world, the first Aussie woman to hold that position since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1976. Needless to say, the entire country is absolutely stoked.

Here’s the moment she won the title, after defeating Julia Gorges in the Birmingham Classic final yesterday:

It’s been a pretty extraordinary rise for Barty, who famously took a break from tennis in 2014 to play professional cricket instead (imagine being that good at two sports??). She returned to tennis in 2016, and since then has gone from being unranked to the very best in the world.

Naturally, fans have taken to social media to share their congratulations and pride. It’s an especially sweet moment for Barty given that she’s described Evonne Goolagong Cawley as her idol.

“To be able to follow in the footsteps of Evonne and even mentioned in the same sentence is incredible,” Barty said today. “She’s an amazing human being and has set the tone for so many Australians and so many Indigenous Australians around our country and around the world”.

Goolagong Cawley returned the compliments today. “In 2019, with all the pieces in place, her rise has been almost unstoppable,” she said of Barty.

“Ash is a very worthy No.1 and winning at the French will have given her even more confidence. I am so proud that another Aboriginal player sits on top of the rankings in women’s tennis, particularly a young lady who conveys such happiness in all she does.”

All in all, a pretty incredible moment in Australian sport — especially given that Ash Barty is only 23 years old. She’s just getting started.

Photo by Rob Keating/robiciatennis.com (CC BY-SA 2.0)