The world's top tennis players pose for a photo in the Rally for Relief charity tennis match in support of the victims of the Australian bushfires, in Melbourne of January 15, 2020, ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament. AFP / William West
MELBOURNE: Tennis greats Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal pledged A$250,000 ($170,000) towards the Australian bushfire relief efforts at a charity event yesterday in the leadup to the Australian Open.
World number one Nadal made the announcement at Melbourne Park’s Rod Laver Arena during the “Rally for Relief” event where top players including Serena Williams and Australian Open defending champion Novak Djokovic led fundraising efforts.
“Hopefully that will keep inspiring the people to support this terrible disaster that we’re going through and helps to recover all the things that we need,” Nadal said on court after an exhibition match.
Australia is experiencing one of its worst bushfire seasons on record, with fires burning for months and killing 28 people, destroying more than 2,500 homes and razing forests and farmland the size of Bulgaria.
Smoke from bushfires blanketed Melbourne in a thick, grey haze on Wednesday before a clearing rain-storm, disrupting the Australian Open’s qualifying matches for a second successive day.
The ATP on Sunday pledged $500,000 to the WWF Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund as part of the bushfire relief efforts.
A number of players have made individual pledges including American Williams who said she would donate all her prize-money from winning a tournament in Auckland on Sunday.
Australian Nick Kyrgios has pledged A$200 for every ace he hits this month.
Earlier a capacity crowd of more than 15,000 at Rod Laver Arena watched Federer defeat Kyrgios in a one-set finale to the Australian Open’s Rally for Relief to aid wildfire charities yesterday.
Tennis Australia said the night helped raise nearly A$5m ($3.5m) for the victims of recent and ongoing fires in Australia that have killed 28 people and destroyed several thousands homes, most of them in New South Wales and Victoria states.
Smoke haze from the continuing fires has played havoc with scheduling of the first two days of qualifying at Melbourne Park, delaying play by several hours and prompting complaints from players over the air quality.
Other players who took part included Caroline Wozniacki and Alexander Zverev. On several occasions, volunteer fire personnel were invited on the court to play against the tennis stars.
The fund-raising efforts, which includes various amounts for aces served during the tournament and the sale of merchandise donated by players, will continue when the Australian Open begins on Monday.
