Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/1024526
3 8 ITFWorld // SUMMER 2018 C H A M P I O N S D I N N E R AFTER TRAVELLING MORE THAN 9,500 MILES TO BE THERE, EVONNE GOOLAGONG CAWLEY WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED WITH THE RECEPTION SHE RECEIVED at the ITF World Champions Dinner in June. The Aussie legend had made the journey from Queensland to Paris with her daughter Kelly to receive the ITF's highest honour, the Philippe Chatrier Award. Goolagong Cawley accepted the award from ITF President David Haggerty to a standing ovation before sharing some of her unique passage from an Aboriginal family in the township of Barellan, New South Wales to international fame as the winner of seven Grand Slam singles titles. She explained what motivated her to dedicate her post-playing career to working with and advocating for Indigenous people. "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," she told the 300 dinner guests at the Pavillon Cambon Capucines. "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." The evening gave Goolagong Cawley the chance to reconnect with many of her peers in the game, including fellow Chatrier Award recipient Chris Evert and fellow Aussie Ken Rosewall, the first Roland Garros men's champion of the Open era. Other former Grand Slam champions present included Gail Benedetti, Francoise Durr, Mima Jausovec, Iva Majoli, Nicola Pietrangeli, Virginia Ruzici, Manolo Santana, Lesley Turner Bowrey and Christina Truman, as well as Mary Pierce and Mark Woodforde, the ITF's athlete board members. The event had its first female MC, Mary Carillo, who swapped the stage where she received the Philippe Chatrier Award herself three years ago for the microphone. She introduced 2017 ITF Wheelchair World Champions David Wagner, Yui Kamiji, Gustavo Fernandez and Junior World Champions Whitney Osuigwe and Axel Geller, before it was The achievements of Philippe Chatrier Award winner Evonne Goolagong Cawley and the 2017 ITF World Champions were toasted at a sparkling ITF World Champions Dinner CROWNING GLORY "Working with Indigenous kids is something I truly enjoy and I'm passionate about." Evonne Goolagong Cawley with her Philippe Chatrier Award E V O N N E G O O L A G O N G C A W L E Y