American tennis star Taylor Fritz is the latest athlete to contribute to wildfire relief funds in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Fritz, 27, said Thursday that he will donate the prize money he won for his first-round victory at the Australian Open (about $82,000) to relief funds.
“I mean, I feel like it’s the least I can do,” Fritz said.
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Taylor Fritz greets the audience after his match against Jenson Brooksby in the men’s singles first round at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. (Mike Frey-Imagn Images)
Fritz was born in Rancho Santa Fe, California, and still resides in the state.
“Obviously, ‘SoCal’ has been my home forever. I still spend a lot of time in Los Angeles, but I lived in Los Angeles for quite a while. I have friends shocked, my family not so much. I had some family members that had to evacuate. The house in the one my brothers grew up in burned down. Obviously they don’t live there anymore,” Fritz said after reaching the third round at Melbourne Park with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 victory over qualifier Cristian Garín. from Chile.
“A lot of people are affected by this. I feel like if you’re in a position to help, then you should.”
Authorities have not determined the cause of the large fires in what is on track to become the country’s costliest fire disaster, with at least 27 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed.
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Taylor Fritz hits a forehand during his match against Cristian Garin in the men’s singles second round at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. (Mike Frey-Imagn Images)
Fritz isn’t the only tennis player with connections to the Los Angeles area competing at the Australian Open.
Naomi Osaka, a four-time major champion, said she sent someone to retrieve her 1½-year-old daughter’s birth certificate from her home in California in case she was trapped in the fires.
Tristan Boyer, a 23-year-old from California who won in the first round but lost on Thursday, said his father had to evacuate their home in Altadena.
“We have friends and family who are now homeless. It’s really devastating to see,” Boyer said. “Obviously, I try to do what I have to do to prepare and play tennis, but I control what I can control at the moment. But it’s difficult, for sure.”
Taylor Fritz hits a forehand during his match against Cristian Garin in the men’s singles second round at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. (Mike Frey-Imagn Images)
Fritz, the tournament’s No. 4 player, will face Gaël Monfils on Saturday for a spot in the fourth round, but his mind will still be on what’s happening at home.
“Obviously, I just want everyone to be safe,” Fritz said.
“It’s crazy what happened.”
