It’s a moment that lives in Australian Open lore: Wiradjuri woman Evonne Goolagong Cawley presenting 2022 champion Ash Barty with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
But it almost didn’t happen. And up until Goolagong Cawley walked onto Rod Laver Arena at the end of the women’s singles final, only a handful of Tennis Australia staff members knew of the secret mission tournament boss Craig Tiley was relentless about realising.
AO 2025 on Wednesday celebrated Australia’s Indigenous community with Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day, named after the 14-time Grand Slam winner. Goolagong Cawley was front and centre at Melbourne Park – a contrast to three years ago when a small but mighty taskforce embarked on an operation to get her into Melbourne Park undetected.
Tiley was keenly aware of the excitement Barty’s 2021 Wimbledon win had generated in Australia. An idea began forming to have one Indigenous female sporting icon present another with the prized silverware.
“Knowing that Ash was our most recent Grand Slam champion and there was a high chance of her doing well, we thought: ‘Let’s approach Evonne and see if she’ll do it’,” Tiley recalled.
Melbourne had come out of its COVID-19 lockdowns but protocols were still in place, making travel trickier. Above all else, Goolagong Cawley did not want to distract Barty.
“She didn’t want to affect Ash’s preparation in any way,” Tiley explained. “It’s classic Evonne. She didn’t want to make it about herself.”
Tiley didn’t give up though, and with the aid of a couple of trusted colleagues, he hatched a plan to get Goolagong Cawley and her husband Roger Cawley on a flight from their Sunshine Coast home to Melbourne.
The 73-year-old did so on one condition: Neither Barty, nor her team, were to be told.
“It was totally secret,” Tiley said.
“She didn’t want anything to be different for Ash, so she could keep her routine going, she didn’t want to be seen in the crowd or anyone to know about it.”
A reconnaissance mission took place around Melbourne Park, assessing where Goolagong Cawley could enter the precinct without being detected, by the public, by behind-the-scenes cameras, staff, media, or players – something easier said than done when there’s tens of thousands of people coming through the turnstiles daily.
A catering loading dock was declared mission fit and after the women’s singles final had started Evonne and Roger were driven there, before being escorted down an isolated corridor to a small room with a television and lounge.
“All Evonne wanted to do was sit down and watch the match,” Tiley recalled. “She was glued to every point.”
A ball kid was the contingency plan to present the trophy if Barty didn’t prevail over finals opponent Danielle Collins. Everyone else, outside of those looped in on a ‘need to know’ basis, thought this was happening come the trophy presentation ceremony.
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“It wasn’t unexpected that there wasn’t a legend there to do the presentation because it was strange times,” Tiley recalled.
There was no rehearsal for the ceremony that beamed around the world – Goolagong Cawley wanted to see match point.
Then, it was time. She was escorted through another tunnel underneath Rod Laver Arena. Todd Woodbridge, the MC briefed on the mission turned possible, announced Goolagong Cawley’s arrival, the crowd exploded into cheers and Barty rejoiced with a warm smile and hug.
“I was already out on court for the ceremony, but knew she was itching to get out there and see Ash. I feel as though she almost sprinted,” Tiley said.
“She’d gone from being so humble, so concerned about ensuring that Ash wasn’t distracted, to the sporting icon and champion that she is. Her head went up, shoulders went back – she strode out onto Rod Laver Arena like she owned it.
“It was like she was 10 feet tall, and the crowd eruption … Goosebumps.”