Naomi Osaka says she will donate tournament prize money to Haiti earthquake relief efforts
- A 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on Saturday.
- The Associated Press reported that more than 300 people are dead and 1,800 are injured.
- Naomi Osaka said she would donate her upcoming tennis tournament prize money to relief efforts.
Naomi Osaka said that she will donate prize money from an upcoming tennis tournament, the Western & Southern Open, to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday, resulting in at least 304 deaths and 1,800 injuries, according to the Associated Press. Osaka made a pledge the same day via Twitter, saying that it "really hurts to see all the devastation that's going on in Haiti."
"I feel like we really can't catch a break," Osaka, 23, wrote. "I'm about to play a tournament this week and I'll give all the prize money to relief efforts for Haiti."
Osaka, who's of Haitian and Japanese descent, added: "I know our ancestors blood is strong we'll keep rising."
The Grand Slam champion has previously spoken about her heritage. In 2019 she visited Haiti, her father's birthplace, and said it was a "humbling experience."
The Associated Press reported that the quake happened around 8:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, about 7.5 miles northeast of Saint-Louis-du-Sud. A 5.2-magnitude tremor hit the island 20 minutes later.
Videos of the aftermath of the earthquake showed damaged streets and crumbling buildings.
The AP reported that Haiti's new prime minister, Ariel Henry, declared a one-month state of emergency.
"The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble," Henry said. "We have learned that the local hospitals, in particular that of Les Cayes, are overwhelmed with wounded, fractured people."
Haiti is still recovering from the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that occurred in 2010.