Legends Spotlight: Celebrating the WTA’s greats at the Australian Open

Editor's note: In this month’s installment of our "Legends Spotlight," we celebrate the ongoing contributions and achievements of WTA icons past and present. From career milestones to inspirational moments, these stories continue to showcase the enduring legacy of the game’s greatest figures.

From well-earned career tributes to motivational speeches, the WTA’s legacy shimmered in the Australian sun. 

Evonne Goolagong Goolagong

Much-loved Aussie icon Evonne Goolagong Cawley was a familiar presence at Melbourne Park from beginning to end of the first Slam of the year. The indigenous trailblazer and former WTA World No.1 kicked things off by joining John Newcombe for ceremonial delivery of the tournament’s singles trophies and was also on hand to present Madison Keys with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup on finals day. In between, she continued her work with indigenous youngsters, using tennis as a vehicle to open doors in sports and in life.

Fittingly, Tennis Australia has renamed its annual First Nations Day to Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day -- highlights on Jan. 15 included a Welcome to Country ceremony on the steps of Margaret Court Arena, with performances from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance groups.

Ashleigh Barty

Another familiar face at both the Brisbane International and the Australian Open was former World No.1 Ashleigh Barty -- who also dropped the news that she was pregnant with her second child. In Brisbane, Barty’s duties included the ceremonial distribution of caps for each member of the ball persons squad. A busy round of appearances in Melbourne saw the three-time Grand Slam champ support tournament sponsors, sometimes in concert with her friend and former doubles partner, Casey Dellacqua.

Judy Dalton

The Women’s Tennis Foundation (WTF) hosted its annual Breakfast with the Stars event at Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club, which this year marked a special milestone: the foundation’s 50th anniversary. The morning was emceed by former player and broadcaster Kerryn Pratt, with other speakers including nine-time Grand Slam champion Wendy Turnbull, Elizabeth Peers, Storm Hunter, incumbent WTF president Nicole Pratt and Judy Dalton (pictured), who led the foundation for an extraordinary 30 years.

The foundation’s mission is to empower women and inspire future generations to thrive on the global stage, in part through a Player Scholarship Program that has supported Hunter and Olivia Gadecki, among others.

Esna Boyd

Esna Boyd, one of the pioneering champions of women’s tennis in the 1920s, was posthumously inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame on second Tuesday of the AO. Pictured (at right) with Daphne Akhurst, Boyd played in the first ever Australasian Women’s Final in 1922 and was a member of the first Australian women’s team to tour overseas in 1925. By the end of her career, she had amassed eight Australian titles -- one singles and seven doubles crowns. Three of Boyd’s granddaughters traveled from the UK to take part in a ceremony on Rod Laver Arena, where a bronze bust was unveiled ahead of its permanent installation in Garden Square.

“We have always known and cherished her memory and now her fame and achievements have exploded,” granddaughter Vicki Weinand said. “It is really exciting and a privilege for three members of the family to be part of.”

Caroline Wozniacki

The AO Inspirational Series, held on women’s semifinals day, has become a popular feature of the Australian Open, providing a platform for diverse voices from the worlds of sport, arts, business and philanthropy. This year’s lineup was headlined by supermodel Tyra Banks, miracle burn and crash survivor Sophie Delezio and 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki.

“It’s such an incredible event and I love to be in a room with so many inspiring women,” Wozniacki said. “When women can support women, I don’t think there’s any better way to spend my time,” Former players in attendance included Judy Dalton, Sam Stosur, Alicia Molik and Casey Dellacqua.

AO Legends Cup

Week two of the Australian Open saw a fresh take on the traditional legends invitational event with a new competition format for the AO Legends Cup dubbed “Australia takes on the World.”

With a collective haul of more than 20 Grand Slam titles across the two sides, Team Australia -- comprised of Sam Stosur, Alicia Molik, Casey Dellacqua, Pat Rafter, Leyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis -- emerged victorious at the end of four days of entertaining doubles and mixed doubles ties. Team World was represented by Iva Majoli, Daniela Hantuchova, Andrea Petkovic, Tommy Haas, James Blake and Marcos Baghdatis.