Isner Pledges 25% Of Prize Money To Bushfire Relief, And That's Not All...
John Isner has announced a major financial contribution to support those affected by the bushfires that have wreaked havoc in Australia. The No. 19 seed will donate 25 per cent of the prize money he earns at the Australian Open towards relief efforts.
First-round prize money in Melbourne is AUD $90,000, so Isner will donate at least $22,500 to help those in need. If he matches his career-best Australian Open finish by making the fourth round ($300,000), that contribution will climb to $75,000. The deeper he goes in the tournament, the bigger the donation. But that's not all. Isner will also add $100 per ace he hits over the course of the tournament.
“I think it’s important that the players support this incredible country that has given us so much over the years,” Isner told ATPTour.com. “The ATP Tour and WTA Tour as I said in my tweet have come together in a big way to help raise money for this good cause. It’s a terrible tragedy. For me to just do a small part I think is important and I’m very happy to do it.
“We get paid well to play tennis in a beautiful place. So in my opinion this is the very least I can do.”
It’s been amazing to see the ATP and WTA come together in support of Australia and the crushing wildfires they’re trying to control. I will donate $100 for every ace I hit and 25% of my prize money to support this amazing recovery effort.
— John Isner (@JohnIsner) January 18, 2020
The 34-year-old is no stranger to philanthropy, revealing last November that the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center named its multidisciplinary clinic in honour of Karen Isner, his mother, a two-time cancer survivor who underwent her treatment at that facility in North Carolina. Isner then announced the launch of the Isner Family Foundation to provide support to hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by contributing towards others receiving world-class treatment to aid in their own battles.
The World No. 19, who will face Brazilian Thiago Monteiro in the first round at Melbourne Park, received a $15,000 grant from ATP ACES For Charity for the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2014.
The tennis world has come together in support of those affected by the bushfires. Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios joined forces with WTA stars at Rally for Relief last Wednesday in Melbourne to help those impacted, raising almost AUD $5 million for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. Following the final of the ATP Cup, the ATP announced a AUD $725,000 donation from ATP players towards the WWF’s Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund as part of the bushfire relief efforts.
Individual contributions include Nadal and Federer combining for a $250,000 donation, Djokovic pledging $25,000 after recently matching $140,000 to the Novak Djokovic Foundation’s ‘Season of Giving’ and Nick Kyrgios guaranteeing $200 for every ace he hits during the Aussie summer.