A century on, the Australian Open women’s competition has evolved from a sideline to the men’s games, shunted to the backcourts, into an unmissable Grand Slam watched by millions. This year, hopes are high that world number one Ashleigh Barty just might be the first Aussie woman to bring the trophy home since 1978.
Whatever the result, it was Margaret and her fellow tennis pioneers who paved the way, not only for a women’s competition, but for the right to play on centre court for equal prize money.
Trailblazers in white stockings
Unlike their British and American sisters, who’d been competing at Wimbledon since 1884 and in the US Open since 1887, Aussie women had to wait until the 1920s for a national championship. “Women had to take a back seat,” Margaret said in the 1980s. “The men were the star attractions.”
This story is from the January 2022 edition of Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
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This story is from the January 2022 edition of Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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