Several top tennis players at the Australian Open expressed concern for Los Angeles as devastating wildfires threatened their homes and communities during first-round matches in Melbourne.
Naomi Osaka, who advanced to the second round after defeating Caroline Garcia 6-3 3-6 6-3, revealed the fires were just three blocks from her residence. The four-time Grand Slam champion shared that she had arranged for someone to retrieve her daughter’s birth certificate due to the uncertainty of the situation. “I was watching the fire map and the fire is three blocks from my house,” Osaka said, expressing her sympathy for LA residents and acknowledging her newfound understanding of fire devastation.
Multiple players joined in showing support for their home city. Third-seeded Coco Gauff, who defeated 2020 champion Sofia Kenin 6-3 6-3, wrote “stay strong LA, thank you firefighters” on the camera lens after her victory. Both Gauff and Taylor Fritz had previously contributed to charitable efforts supporting those affected by the fires.
Jessica Pegula, the seventh seed, marked her decisive 6-3 6-0 win over Australian wildcard Maya Joint by drawing “LA” with a heart on the lens. World number two Iga Swiatek also expressed solidarity, signing “sending my love to Malibu and LA” following her 6-3 6-4 victory over Katarina Siniakova.
The fires, which began on January 7, have become the most destructive in LA’s history. According to the LA County medical examiner, the death toll has reached 24, with 16 people still missing. The crisis has directly impacted the tennis community, with coach Pam Shriver remaining in LA to assist her family, as noted by her player Donna Vekic after her first-round win.
In other tournament results, American tenth seed Danielle Collins advanced past Ukraine’s Daria Snigur with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory. Canadian Belinda Bencic marked her return to Grand Slam competition after childbirth by eliminating sixteenth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 7-6 (8-6).
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