Australian tennis player and all-round banter legend Nick Kyrgios has pushed for a tennis drive to contribute money to the victims of the recent bushfires in his homeland.
After tweeting his intention to do something for those hit by the recent tragic bushfires that have swept across Australia, Kyrgios was hit by a wave of support from his fellow professionals and eventually, the Tennis Australia account too.
Here was how Kyrgios kicked off the charity drive:
I’m kicking off the support for those affected by the fires. I’ll be donating $200 per ace that I hit across all the events I play this summer. #MoreToCome #StayTuned
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) January 2, 2020
The Aussie’s powerful words were picked up by many of his fellow racquet-wielding sports heroes, including Alex De Minaur, who went even higher – albeit with a tongue-in-cheek caveat:
I like this I will go $250 per ace, just because I don’t think I’ll be hitting as many aces as you mate. 😂😂😂 #dropthehammer https://t.co/SxMPs3XQud
— alex de minaur (@alexdeminaur) January 2, 2020
Players such as John Millman also got involved, adjusting the amount but also pledging money for their unreturnable serves:
I’m not at your level boys but I want to get involved. $100 for an ace over the Australian summer. #servingupsomehelp https://t.co/eIwIH0xTXT
— John Millman (@johnhmillman) January 2, 2020
The ATP shared in the good vibes feeling, as they have announced a big initiative for the forthcoming Australia-based tennis season, including the Australian Open.
Each ace served across the @ATPCup at all three venues will deliver $100 to the @RedCrossAU bushfire disaster relief and recovery efforts.
With more than 1500 aces expected to be served, the tournament contribution is expected to exceed $150,000.
— ATPCup (@ATPCup) January 2, 2020
With over 1,000 aces expected to land over the three weeks, that would be the equivalent of over $100,000 in donations, enough to help the relief effort immensely.
Craig Tiley, Tennis Australia’s chief, gave the following statement:
“For weeks we’ve been watching the devastation caused by bushfires across Australia and the people affected are constantly in our thoughts. We want to help these communities in a meaningful way and will announce a number of fund-raising and support initiatives that will be rolled out across the coming weeks.”
Nick Kyrgios has often been seen as a brat on the court and off it, with his recent antics in 2019 leading to plenty of controversy and clashes with authority.
While the Australian Open will be a thrilling tournament for fans to watch, the greater purpose of donating vital funds to help those suffering as a result of the recent Australian bushfires will surely inspire fans as well as other players.
Should Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and the current champion, Novak Djokovic get involved then the amounts raised will go up even more. The power of sport is once again prevalent in doing good and that the initiative was pushed forward by a player who has long been seen as the black sheep of tennis hints at a fantastic year of action.
Despite us having a detailed look at who might win big in the Grand Slams that will take place in 2020, including the Australian Open, no-one knows who will win the tournament staged in Melbourne. However, if enough money is raised, then, Down Under at least, the answer will be ‘everybody’, with charity always a deserving winner.
