Best of 2017 celebrated at ITF World Champions Dinner
Australian legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley toasted her Aboriginal heritage after being presented with the International Tennis Federation’s highest accolade, the Philippe Chatrier Award, at the 2018 World Champions Dinner in Paris.
The World Champions Dinner, held at Pavillon Cambon Capucines, celebrated the achievements of the 2017 ITF World Champions, including singles champions Rafael Nadal and Garbine Muguruza and doubles winners Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, and Latisha Chan and Martina Hingis.
Wheelchair champions David Wagner, Gustavo Fernandez and Yui Kamiji were also honoured, as were the world champion nations of Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, France and USA.
But it was Goolagong who scooped the evening’s top gong for her outstanding service, both on and off court, to tennis, with her name added to the illustrious list of those decorated with the Philippe Chatrier Award since its inception in 1996.
“As a child, I remember reading a Princess Magazine story about a young girl that was found, trained and taken to a place called Wimbledon where she played on this magical Centre Court where she won,” said Goolagong Cawley.
“I didn’t even know it existed but somebody came up to me and said that place is real. Every time I went to sleep at night I used to dream I was there and playing on that magical Centre Court. That became my dream.
“I achieved my dream of playing on that magical Centre Court and winning [in 1971 and 1980] and all my thanks goes back to the townspeople of Barellan [in New South Wales] who supported me. Without their initial support I wouldn’t be here today.
“We couldn’t afford it because we were a family of eight but the local townspeople put three of the Goolagongs through a week-long coaching school and later the farmers, policeman and the whole community would drive me to tournaments.
“After retiring and returning to Australia from America, I said to my husband Roger that I wanted to do for Aboriginal kids around Australia what the townspeople did for me.
“Thank you very much to the ITF. It’s amazing getting this award for playing tennis and doing the work with the Goolagong National Development Camp. Working with indigenous kids is something I truly enjoy and I’m passionate about.”
Goolagong Cawley burst on to the international stage in 1971 when she won the singles titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon while still only 19.
A 16-year career saw Goolagong Cawley capture seven Grand Slam singles titles, six Grand Slam doubles titles and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title in all. Goolagong Cawley was also part of three of Australia’s Fed Cup-winning teams between 1971 and 1974.
After retiring in 1983 with 92 singles titles, she began to learn more about her Aboriginal heritage and, having spent time living in Florida, moved back to Australia in 1991 with her family.
Since returning to her homeland, Goolagong Cawley has worked with Tennis Australia to increase female participation in tennis in Australia, and for more than two decades has acted in many capacities as an ambassador, advocate and role model for Indigenous Australians.
For the last 12 years she has run the Goolagong National Development Camp which uses tennis to promote better health, education and employment for young Indigenous people.
In 2012, she became chairperson of the Evonne Goolagong Foundation and with federal government support set up the Dream, Believe, Learn, Achieve programme, giving more Indigenous children access to tennis.
In an evening hosted by former Philippe Chatrier Award winner Mary Carillo, the achievements of Nadal were also lauded.
Nadal became the oldest ITF Men’s World Champion at the age of 31 following his stunning comeback year in which he won a record tenth Roland Garros title, a third US Open crown and was a finalist at the Australian Open. He claimed a total of six titles in 2017 and ended the year as men’s world No. 1.
The powerful right-hander, now 32, who was unable to attend last night’s dinner due to ongoing playing commitments at Roland Garros, said: “I am sad that I cannot spend this time with you but I would like to say thank you to everyone for this important award. I am very proud and it is a big honour.”
Fellow Spaniard Muguruza, who was also unable to attend, became the second Spanish woman to be named ITF World Champion after Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1994.
Muguruza followed her breakthrough year in 2016 by triumphing at Wimbledon, her first SW19 title where she dropped just one set, and proceeded to achieve the world No. 1 ranking in September before ending the year in second spot.
“It is incredible to be world champion,” she said. “I am so grateful. It was an incredible year, winning my second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and achieving world No. 1. It’s just incredible.”
Recently-retired Martina Hingis, meanwhile, cited doubles partner Latisha Chan as the person who allowed her to believe it was possible to land major honours once more.
Chan and Hingis enjoyed an outstanding first, and due to Hingis’s recent retirement, only season together to end 2017 as the No. 1-ranked team, having won all nine finals they contested, including the US Open without dropping a set.
“She was the one who helped me believe I could win big tournaments again,” said five-time Grand Slam singles winner Hingis.
“I had some doubts and perhaps felt it was time to move on and do something else but when I started playing with her I felt we could be the No. 1 team out there.
“That was the beginning of the story we had last year and I’ll never forget it. It was one of my best years on tour.”
Men’s counterparts Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo ended the year as the No. 1 men’s doubles team after sealing top spot at the ATP Finals. In total, they clinched six titles and remained unbeaten during the grass-court season.
Axel Geller and Whitney Osuigwe were celebrated as the ITF Junior World Champions, and David Wagner, Gustavo Fernandez and Yui Kamiji the ITF Wheelchair World Champions.