Australia's female athletes are getting more spotlight than ever before and rising to the top of the world, but it is only the beginning of a journey needed to build financially viable careers and inspire the next generation.

Queensland's Ash Barty is poised to become the women's world No.1 tennis player as early as Sunday night, and if not then, by Wimbledon. Ms Barty, who has the best women's record on the World Tennis Association tour, would become our first women's world No.1 since Evonne Goolagong Cawley 43 years ago, by taking out the Nature Valley International in Birmingham.