Taylor Fritz Donates First Round AO Prize Money To Those Impacted By LA Wildfires
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Taylor Fritz has a special connection to California and Los Angeles specifically. That compelled him to donate to assist those affected by the wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles.
Since January 7th, a series of 30 wildfires have impacted the Los Angeles metropolitan area and supporting regions. The problems caused by them continue, and efforts remain ongoing to contain the fires.
As of January 12th, at least 25 people have been killed, around 200,000 were forced to evacuate, and more than 12,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed. Sadly, those numbers will undoubtedly increase further as more news filters through.
The scenes in Los Angeles are heartbreaking for anyone to watch. All the brave firefighters and other essential workers who have selflessly risked their lives to protect others since the crisis began deserve gratitude for their actions.
While many feel sadness for those affected by the wildfires, it is most concerning for those linked to the city. There are a couple of tennis players who live in Los Angeles, making it harder for them compared to others on the ATP and WTA Tours.
Naomi Osaka has been a resident of Los Angeles for several years. She and her ex-boyfriend Cordae have a house they bought and lived at with their daughter. Osaka recently announced she and Cordae had split after six years together.
In an on-court interview after her first-round victory against Caroline Garcia, Osaka revealed that the wildfires had reached within three blocks of her house, and she had someone get her child's birth certificate in case it was destroyed.
Fritz is another player with close links to Los Angeles. He used to live in the city, and Southern California remains his home. That led the ATP world No. 4 to announce a measure to help those in Los Angeles.
Last year's US Open runner-up revealed after winning in the Australian Open second round that he had donated his $132,000 first-round prize money to support people in the city where he used to live. Fritz feels it is the least he can do because of his connections to Los Angeles.
"I'm going to be donating my first round prize money to LA wildfire relief funds. Southern California is my home and LA was my home for a very long time, so just doing what I can to help. It's just insane what happened."
It is a great gesture from Fritz that will make a significant difference. Throughout his career, the US men's No. 1 player has come across as a relaxed, nice person off the court, and this gesture proves that.
While the people in Los Angeles are undoubtedly in his thoughts, Fritz will be delighted by how he played in the opening two rounds of the Australian Open. The 27-year-old only dropped five games during a crushing first-round victory against Jenson Brooksby.
Fritz managed to do even better than that in the second round against Cristian Garin, triumphing 6-2, 6-1, 6-0. Defending champion Jannik Sinner is the favorite to win the title in Melbourne again, but Fritz could be a dark horse.
