sports
Goolagong Review
She won seven grand slams, was ranked world No 1 and riled up Billie Jean King. But did this worthy yet syrupy drama really need to show her as a child hitting a ball against a wall with a plank of wood quite so many times?
TL;DR
- Evonne Goolagong was the first Aboriginal player to compete in Wimbledon and won two singles titles and one doubles title.
- The series explores Goolagong's rise to fame, her struggles with financial abuse and sexual harassment from her coach, Vic Edwards.
- It also touches on themes of race, gender, and pay equity in the 1970s.
- Performances by Lila McGuire, Eloise Hart, and Rilee Clarke as Goolagong at different life stages are praised.
- The drama's tone is described as uneven, oscillating between charming, lightweight, and sometimes forced tension.
- The reviewer suggests a documentary or docudrama might have been a more compelling format.
- The series concludes with Goolagong's return to sport after childbirth and her enduring marriage to Roger Cawley.
- Goolagong is noted for supporting Indigenous children through her tennis charity.