Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 30 June 2025 | Luke Dennehy

Evonne Goolagong Cawley was the special guest of honour at the inaugural Australian Tennis Foundation’s Night Of Champions, held at Melbourne’s Plaza Ballroom.

As well as looking back at her remarkable career, and the dream that sparked it, the night also launched the Evonne Goolagong Cawley Scholarship.

Thanks to a collaboration between the Australian Tennis Foundation and the Evonne Goolagong Foundation, the Scholarship will mean young indigenous children may get to follow their dreams just like Goolagong Cawley did all those years ago.

It’s now one of tennis and Australia’s favourite sporting stories, beginning when she was a little girl hitting tennis balls against a wall with a racquet made by carving out part of an apple crate in her hometown of Barellan, a small country town in New South Wales.

As Goolagong Cawley fell in love with the sport she learnt of this magical place called Wimbledon, and immediately had a goal – or a dream – to win it.

“I read a magazine called Princess magazine,” Goolagong Cawley told tennis.com.au.

“The story was about a young girl who was found, trained and taken to this magical place called Wimbledon, and she won. I didn’t know it existed.

“After that every time I would hit the ball against the wall I would think I was at Wimbledon. Every night I would go to sleep at night I would dream I was there.”

Goolagong Cawley didn’t have long for her dreams to come true, winning Wimbledon in 1971 when she was 19 in just her second time playing in the tournament.

She returned nine years later in 1980 and won Wimbledon again, this time as a mother.

Now 73, Goolagong Cawley has worked tirelessly over the years through her Foundation to make sure indigenous kids all across Australia dare to dream just like she did all those years ago in Barellan.

On Saturday night more than $100,000 was raised for the Scholarship, in what was an uplifting and inspiring occasion.

The night was hosted by Casey Dellaqua and Lachlan Wills, and guests included Australian Tennis Foundation ambassador John Fitzgerald, Sport Australia Hall of Fame Chairman John Bertrand, and former champion hurdler Kyle Vander Kuyp.

Fitzgerald summed it up best when talking about Goolagong Cawley.

“She has a presence and a natural beauty that we all love,” he said. “She remains so humble and beautiful to be around.

“As a person of the tennis world she has already gone down in history for what she has achieved, but she is a special person on top of that.”

Another special guest was actor Lila McGuire, the actor who plays Goolagong Cawley in a new three part ABC miniseries titled Goolagong, that will be filmised around Melbourne and Victoria in coming months.

Saturday night was the first time Goolagong Cawley and McGuire met, as she begins playing the role of a lifetime.

The Australian Tennis Foundation’s executive director Vicki Reid said the new Scholarship will provide many opportunities for indigenous kids in the years to come.

“The Night of Champions is all about providing the opportunities for the next generation to follow their dreams just in the way Evonne has achieved,” she said.

“Evonne is a legend in so many people’s eyes, not just on the tennis court but all the work she has done off the court is phenomenal.

“We want to celebrate what she has achieved, honour what she has done and raise some money for this new incredible Scholarship initiative.”

Goolagong Cawley was at the event with her husband Roger, with the couple celebrating 50 years of marriage last week.

Roger has been involved along every step of Evonne’s fundraising efforts.

Goolagong Cawley was overwhelmed with gratitude by the Night Of Champions, the reception she received in the room and the money raised.

“I can’t believe how many people have come tonight, It’s absolutely beautiful,” she said.

“Tonight is going to benefit a lot of indigenous kids, not just as tennis players, but helping them through school, to become role models which is amazing.”