Getty/Alex Pantling/Saeed Khan
Kyrgios has pledged to help the victims of the bushfires.
- Tennis star Nick Kyrgios says he will donate "$200 (US$140) per ace" this summer to help the victims of Australia's bush fire crisis.
- The southeast of Australia has been engulfed in flames since October, leaving at least eight people dead and destroying hundreds of homes.
- "I'm kicking off the support for those affected by the fires," Kyrgios tweeted. "I'll be donating $200 per ace that I hit across all the events I play this summer."
- Kyrgios' teammates for the upcoming ATP Cup, Alex de Minaur and John Millman, followed up with similar pledges of $250 and $100 per ace respectively.
- The ATP also said it would donate $100 per ace during the ATP Cup, and that it expects to raise over $150,000 during the ten-day tournament, which starts on January 2.
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Tennis star Nick Kyrgios says he will donate "$200 (US$140) per ace" this summer to help the victims of Australia's bushfire crisis.
The southeast of Australia has been engulfed in flames since October, leaving at least eight people dead, and destroying hundreds of homes, and burning nearly 10 million acres of land.
Food and fuel are now running out in some areas, and on Thursday, New South Wales declared a "7-day state of emergency" which could see people evacuated from their homes, says CNN.
"I'm kicking off the support for those affected by the fires," Kyrgios tweeted. "I'll be donating $200 per ace that I hit across all the events I play this summer. #MoreToCome #StayTuned."
Alex de Minaur, who will play alongside Kyrgios at the upcoming ATP Cup, quickly followed up with a similar gesture, tweeting: "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."
Fellow Australian tennis star John Millman, Kyrgio's other teammate for the upcoming tournament, also joined, pledging "$100 for an ace over the Australian summer", while the ATP confirmed it will also be donating $100 for every ace served throughout the competition, which kicks off on January 2.
"Each ace served across the 10-day tournament at all three venues will deliver $100 to the Australian Red Cross bushfire disaster relief and recovery efforts," reads an official statement.
"With more than 1,500 aces expected to be served by singles and doubles players across both the group rounds and Final Eight in Sydney, the ATP Cup contribution is expected to exceed $150,000."
The tournament sees countries from across the world compete against each other over the course of 10 days, and features some of the world's biggest stars, including Spain's Rafael Nadal, Serbia's Novak Djokovic, and Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas.
"The more exposure it gets I think we have the potential to do something pretty special there," Kyrgios told reporters on Thursday when asked about his pledge, according to News.com.
"All the heartbreak this summer; it's pretty tragic what's going on, especially with my hometown, Canberra, being under a bit of smoke, the most hazardous smoke in the world at the moment.
"To see Canberra like that, it's pretty tough to see."
Read more:
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, 2020I 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