She told Channel Nine,which owns this masthead:“It’s a really special stepping stone in our heritage and our culture.”
According to Fila,which sponsors Barty,the Australian champion,who pulled out of the French Open due to a hip injury,said:“It’s hard to put into words how much of an impact Evonne has had on the culture of tennis in Australia and on me personally,I don’t think there is anyone more iconic in our sport.”
The original outfit was designed by Ted Tinling,who is credited with revolutionising women’s tennis fashions. Goolagong Cawley told Tennis Australia recently it was her favourite competition outfit.
“[Tinling] always made such beautiful dresses,in fact he later also made me a dress with ‘tall trees by still waters’,so gum trees and water on the side,and that at the time,was what I believed was the meaning of my name Goolagong,and the other meaning was ‘nose of the kangaroo’ so I think I preferred tall trees by still waters,” she said.
Tinling,who died in 1990,was credited with bringing tennis outfits into the realm of fashion. According to an obituary inThe New York Times,Tinling “parlayed a pair of lace tennis panties into a tour-de-force fashion career that all but overshadowed his reputation as one of the sport’s most astute observers and historians”.
According to Fila,Goolagong said the tribute “just blows my mind. What a wonderful thing to do,what a wonderful honour. It’s truly fantastic.”