"Friend, mentor, icon, absolute legend": Ashleigh Barty pens heartfelt note as former champion Evonne Goolagong Cawley get honored at Australian Open

Ashleigh Barty recently penned a heartfelt note in honor of Australian tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

Goolangong Cawley was recently honored at the 2024 Australian Open, 50 years after she won her maiden Australian Open title. She later lifted the prestigious trophy three more times – in 1975, 1976 and 1977.

In a ceremony at the Rod Laver arena ahead of the women's single semifinals, the Australian Open announced that it's annual celebration of First Nations culture during the first week of the tournament will be named Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Ash Barty took to social media to commemorate her compatriot and mentor, showering praise on the Australian tennis legend for her outstanding character.

"A friend, mentor, icon and absolute legend. What an incredible person you are, Evonne. A special year celebrating the 50th anniversary of your first AO win, but an even greater appreciation and acknowledgement of your entire career with the renaming of a very special day - Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day. I cherish our relationship every single day. And I will always be your biggest fan," Barty wrote on Instagram.

Screengrab from Ash Barty's Instagram

Goolagong Cawley won 7 Grand Slams during her illustrious career - four at the Australian Open, two at Wimbledon and one at the French Open. She shares a close relationship with Barty and even surprised the latter by presenting her with the trophy Barty's 2022 Australian Open title win.

A brief look at Ashleigh Barty's Grand Slam titles

Ashleigh Barty with the winner's trophy at the 2022 Australian Open

Ashleigh Barty won 3 Grand Slam titles in a career spanning over 10 years. The Australian turned pro in 2010 and competed on the WTA Tour till 2020, with a break in between from 2014-2016.

Barty faced stiff competition from the likes of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova after her return to the tour. She had her first breakthrough in the Grand Slams at the 2019 French Open, where she defeated Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 6-3 in the finals to lift her maiden Grand Slam trophy at Roland Garros.

The Aussie later won the WTA Finals in the same year and ended her 2019 and 2020 seasons as World No. 1. Barty then won the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, beating Karolina Pliskova in a grinding three-set 6–3, 6–7, 6–3 victory to claim her second Grand Slam title.

Ashleigh Barty stunned the tennis world when she announced her decision to hang up her racquet in 2022. The same year, she lifted the Australian Open trophy as a perfect send-off on home soil.