My granny’s induction to Australia’s tennis hall of fame has proved a family journey of discovery

Australian tennis player Esna Boyd won eight Australian titles in the 1920s and will be inducted into the hall of fame at the Australian Open next week. Photograph: Tennis Australia

Early in December, my nephew Tom received a message on a genealogy website asking if he was related to Esna Boyd. Esna was the winner of the 1927 Australian Open, and Tennis Australia was looking for descendants because they are about to induct her into the Australian tennis hall of fame.

Esna was also my grandmother, Tom’s great-grandmother. In Scotland, where we live, my family WhatsApp group lit up.