International Tennis Hall of FameEvonne Goolagong was not born into tennis royalty with a gold plated racquet, fancy outfits, and private lessons at a posh country club.
Her introduction to tennis has perhaps the most humble origins in tennis history, yet she overcame major stumbling blocks to become the No. 1 player in the world.
Sunshine Super Girl is a quintessentially Australian story about a Black girl from the bush who, with the unlikely support of an outback farming town and her loving family, rises to become a world tennis champion at the tender age of 19 – making Evonne Goolagong a household name.
When she retired in 1982, Evonne had won 92 professional tournaments and was a finalist in 18 Grand Slam events and seven singles – winning Wimbledon twice, the French Open once and the Australian Open four times.
More than a rags-to-riches tale, Goolagong’s heartwarming story is a celebration of spirit and passion over privilege and racism; and a tribute to a great Wiradjuri woman who inspired a nation and offers hope and possibility to thousands of young girls across the country.
With its peculiarly Australian sensibility, humour and humility, Sunshine Super Girl asks us to consider our nation’s future and the larger collective significance of our individual actions on the next ‘Goolagong’ waiting in the wings.
