STARNBERG, January 2, 2020
After Nick Kyrgios called for an exhibition tournament before the Australian Open, Australia’s tennis chief announced a series of fundraisers for victims of raging bushfires on Thursday. The World No. 30 Canberra native posted his idea on twitter.
C’mon @TennisAustralia surely we can do a pre @AustralianOpen exho to raise funds for those affected by the fires? 🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) January 1, 2020
“For weeks we’ve been watching the devastation caused by bushfires across Australia, and the people affected are constantly in our thoughts,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley responded, quoted by Australian Associated Press.
“We want to help these communities in a meaningful way and will announce a number of fundraising and support initiatives that will be rolled out across the ATP Cup, Australian Open and our events over the coming weeks. Stay tuned for further announcements.”
Canberra experiences worst air quality on record
In the meantime, Canberra experienced the worst air quality conditions on Wednesday since ratings began to be measured 15 years ago. Canberrans were advised to avoid physical activity outside. Canberra Tennis Centre is set to host the Apis Canberra International ATP Challenger on January 6 to 12.
Canberra right now. Unreal scenes. Will be very interesting to see if the Challenger will be played or not. pic.twitter.com/3aB9fauD3U
— Alex Theodoridis (@AlexTheodorid1s) January 1, 2020