Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal will take part in an exhibition match to raise money for a bushfire relief fund in Australia. The match is scheduled for 15 January, five days before the start of the Australian Open, and will take place at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, BBC reports.
World number eight Belinda Bencic has pledged the same amount for every double fault she hits at the Adelaide International and Australian Open. “I’m not the best at hitting aces but much better at double faults,” the 22-year-old Swiss wrote on Twitter. Many in the tennis community have been giving back on their own, on top of the commitment to the relief rally. Kygrios pledged $140 for every ace he hit in future tournaments. For every ace across the upcoming six tournaments, Tennis Australia is going to donate $69. They also are giving $700,000 to help with the rebuilding of the tennis facilities impacted by the fires.
Maria Sharapova donated $17,400 and also left 10 pairs of signed tennis shoes at a hotel and is asking that anyone who wants them gives $206. Novak Djokovic agreed to match her donation and the world's No. 2-ranked men's player is giving $17,400.
