'SHE'S AN INCREDIBLE WOMAN!'

Tennis legend Evonne affectionately calls Ash her ‘little sister' and the world No. 1 happily admits the sports great is her idol

As Ash Barty addressed the crowd after winning her first match at the Australian Open, the champion drew cheers and applause, not only for her straight-set victory over Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko but for her powerful words.

“I'm my most comfortable self when I'm out on the court," she began. “I'm a proud Ngarigo woman, a very, very proud Indigenous woman. I love my heritage, I love to celebrate my heritage. It's what connects me to all of you here today. It's what connects me to the land."

It's this same powerful sense of self-worth that tennis great Evonne Goolagong Cawley saw when she first watched Ash play at the tender age of 13.

"She made me proud from the first time I saw Ash," says Evonne. "Ash to me is like a little sister and part of my family, so I think we treat each other that way. It's amazing that she won her first grand slam at the French (Open]. That was my first grand slam and that same year I won Wimbledon in 1971.

"It's just magical when you achieve that dream and I'm sure it's magical for her, too."

There's no doubting the love and affection the women have for each other, but Evonne's support has meant the world to 25-year-old Ash.