As the devastation of Australia’s bushfire crisis takes its toll, tennis players from across the globe are joining the swell of support with the Brisbane International’s top seed Ashleigh Barty on Sunday announcing her contribution.
The world No.1-ranked Queenslander said she would donate her entire Brisbane International 2020 prize money to the Red Cross Fire appeal, which if she won the event would be $A382,000.
After donating more than $30,000 late last year to the RSPCA to help wildlife affected by the national disaster, Barty said she wanted to dig deep again for families who have been left devastated by bushfires.
“Wildlife has been lost but it has also affected lives and homes so I have been sitting down and thinking with my team and family on ways we can help,” Barty said in Brisbane on Sunday.
“There have been really great initiatives from cricketers, tennis players, golfers, soccer players all over the country trying to help out.
“We have come to the decision any of my prize money here in Brisbane will be donated to the (Australian) Red Cross to go towards the families and homes affected.”
Tennis Australia has already committed a $100 donation for every ace served at the ATP Cup in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.
.@ashbarty announces she will donate any prize money she wins at #BrisbaneTennis to bushfire relief. #AustralianBushfires #RallyForRelief pic.twitter.com/4pOoLnzmI2
— #BrisbaneTennis (@BrisbaneTennis) January 5, 2020
For every ACE I serve over the Aussie summer I’ll donate $200 to the bushfire relief to help raise funds to the families, firefighters and animals who are affected by this disaster. Please join me in any way you can #ausfires #ClimateEmegency #AustralianFires
— Samantha Stosur (@bambamsam30) January 2, 2020
Heyy Aussies! I love your country so I decided to join the
Aussies players and donate 200 dollars for every ace I hit during my stay in Australia to support and help all the victims of the fires. Let’s get some aces going! pic.twitter.com/5adQTWrcCR— Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) January 4, 2020
Australia has my heart. I really want to help those affected by the devastating fires.
I’m donating $150 per ace through all my tournaments here 🇦🇺
Now I better go work on my leftie serve 🤗 https://t.co/Vg0hEfaO7I
— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) January 5, 2020
Dozen of fires erupted around the entire continent in Australia. More than 4 millions hectares of land have burned. Thousands of houses have been damaged or destroyed. Millions of animals have died. Not to even… https://t.co/CA9lhoLVZs
— Barbora Strycova (@BaraStrycova) January 4, 2020
Want in on this. For every ACE I serve over the Aussie summer I’ll donate $50 to the bushfire relief to help raise funds to the families, firefighters and animals who are affected by this disaster. Please join me in any way you can #ausfires #ClimateEmegency #AustralianFires
— Priscilla hon (@pribo98) January 2, 2020
For every ace I serve over this Australian summer of tennis I’ll be donating $10 to the bushfire appeal! Lets make 2020 a year of big serving and winning matches for the firefighters and affected communities/families! I encourage others to join me in helping Australia 🙏❤️ https://t.co/U5mRgv78nS
— Ellen Perez (@EllenPerez95) January 2, 2020
I’ll join you @EllenPerez95 !! I’ll donate $10 for every ace I serve over Aussie summer to the bushfire appeal. We need to help those in need in anyway we can right now 🙏 https://t.co/oDv9FWYSur
— Storm Sanders (@stormsanders94) January 2, 2020
Love seeing all the help and support for the victims of the fires, so I’ve put a few extra hours in this week on the practice courts to hopefully hit as many aces as I can 🙌🏼 I’ll be donating 100$ each over the 🇦🇺 summer ❤️ pic.twitter.com/wkRiFcXCcp
— Ajla Tomljanovic (@Ajlatom) January 4, 2020
The month of January in Australia has been my 🏠 for the past 15 years. Watching the fires destroy the lands, it’s beautiful families and communities of animals is deeply💔. I would like to begin my donation at 25K. @DjokerNole, would you match my donation?🙏🏻 #letsallcometogether
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) January 5, 2020
Thank you @ashbar96 for playing with me. First win and first aces of the season. Hopefully many more to come brisbanetennis . I’ll donate 100$ per ace for the terrible bushfires here in lovely Australia 🇦🇺 🤞 https://t.co/R5NUy8SjkA
— Kiki Bertens (@kikibertens) January 6, 2020
A large section of the tennis family, including the Brisbane International, has also joined forces to intensify the fundraising effort.
Tennis Australia is also working to further mobilise the international tennis community – the players, the WTA and ATP and other tennis bodies and events – to try and reach and surpass the target of $100 per ace at all events in January.
Click here if you would like to donate to Aces for Bushfire Relief.