Tennis player Taylor Fritz is donating Australian Open prize money to LA wildfire relief funds
Taylor Fritz of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Cristian Garin of Chile during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ng Han Guan]
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — American tennis player Taylor Fritz is donating the prize money he earned for his first-round victory at the Australian Open — about $82,000 — to relief funds to help people affected by the wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area. Fritz was born in Rancho Santa Fe, California, and still is based in the state. He moved into the third round at Melbourne Park with a straight-set victory Thursday. Authorities have not determined a cause for the major blazes in what is on track to become the nation’s costliest fire disaster, with at least 25 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed. Several athletes with connections to the LA area have been competing at the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.
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