By Victor Kanayo
Tennis star Taylor Fritz has assured his readiness to donate his first-round prize money from the Australian Open to support victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.
Fritz made the pledge after beating Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin to reach the third round on Thursday.
The American’s pledge is worth 132,000 Australian dollars (£67,000), which is the first-round prize money.
He said, “I just want everyone to stay safe. It’s insane what happened.
“I’m going to be donating my first-round prize money to LA wildfire relief funds.
“It’s the least I can do. Southern California is my home, and LA was my home for a very long time, so I’m just doing what I can possibly do to help.”
Fritz, who lost to Jannik Sinner in last year’s US Open final, wrote “LA” and drew a love heart on a camera lens after his 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 victory over Garin in Melbourne.
The world number four will face French veteran Gael Monfils in the third round.
The fires, which began on 7 January 2025, have killed at least 25 people and are being marked as the most destructive in the city’s history.
Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Iga Swiatek also dedicated their first-round wins to LA and the firefighters tackling the fires.
