Some of the biggest names in tennis took to Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night to raise money for Australia’s bushfire victims, with the entertaining encounters raising a staggering $4,826,014.
Roger Federer, Nick Kyrgios, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Novak Djokovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev all contributed their time and skills to the initiative.
Nick Kyrgios was the main driving force behind the event which attracted a jam-packed crowd.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia plays a shot in his match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during the Rally For Relief at Rod Laver Arena. Source: AAP
Having been personally impacted by the fires, the Australian star expressed his gratitude for the support from fans and the tennis community, conceding “it's been an emotional couple of weeks.”
"Back home at Canberra I couldn't even go outside (due to the smoke), it was hard and I'm just so happy that we had Roger, Rafa, Novak, some of the greats to get behind it and everyone around the world at the moment.
"I think the awareness has grown and we are doing everything that we possibly can to overcome this together.”
Nadal and Federer both dipped into their own pockets to give a combined total of $250,000 to the relief effort, a donation the Spaniard announced in between completing in various matches and challenges.
Fans in the crowd show their support during the Rally For Relief at Rod Laver Arena. Source: AAP
“Talking with Roger a couple of hours ago, we decided to give $250,000 Australian dollars to the bushfire relief together," he said.
"Hopefully that can keep inspiring people to support this terrible disaster that we were going through and helps to recover all the things that we need."
Roger Federer of Switzerland and Nick Kyrgios of Australia pose for a photo during the Rally For Relief. Source: AAP
A noticeably more relaxed Nadal also made a firefighters dream come true, when he invited Deb Boirg, from Victoria’s Country Fire Authority, on centre court to be his doubles partner for a few points against Wozniacki and Zverev.
Ms Boirg was among 30 volunteer firefighters and emergency personnel who were invited to the event as special guests, with the evening beginning with a standing ovation dedicated to them and the work of their colleagues, many whom continue to fight fires across the state.
The evening also included a one-set centrepiece between Federer and Kyrgios, with the Swiss former world number one taking the match 7-6 (8/6).
A match neither player, nor the crowd, took seriously, with Federer reiterating Kyrgios’ message of raising awareness of the bushfire crisis and supporting victims.
“What I wanted to do was raise awareness, raise money and tell people to still come and travel to Australia because people probably think around the world that you can't right now," Federer said.
Rafael Nadal of Spain and Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic celebrate during the Rally For Relief. Source: AAP
"That was the idea. And to have some fun, have a hit with Nick … it wasn't about winning and losing.”
The fundraiser comes just days before the Australian Open main tournament begins on Monday (20 January), although there are growing concerns poor air quality in Melbourne from Victoria and New South Wales' bushfire smoke could disrupt play.
