Australian Open: 'It's The Least I Can Do' - Taylor Fritz Donates First Round Prize Money For LA Wildfire Victims

American tennis player and South California resident Taylor Fritz will donate his Australian Open 2025 first round victory prize money to the victims of the raging wildfire in the Los Angeles.

Fritz said he is donating the prize money he earned for his first-round victory over compatriot Jenson Brooksby at the Australian Open - about $132,000 - to relief funds to help people affected by the wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area.

"I just want everyone to obviously stay safe. It's just insane what happened. I wanted to say something after my first round match. I'm going to be donating my first round prize money to the LA wildfire relief funds," Fritz said on Thursday (January 16) after his second round win.

"I mean, I feel like it's really the least I can do. Obviously SoCal' has been my home forever. I still spend a lot of time in LA, but I lived in LA for quite a while. I have friends impacted; family not so much," added Fritz, who was born in Rancho Santa Fe, California, and still is based in the state.

"I had some family have to evacuate. The house that my brothers grew up in burnt down. Obviously, they're not living there anymore," Fritz, a U.S. Open finalist, said after reaching the third round at Melbourne Park with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 victory over qualifier Cristian Garín of Chile.

"A lot of people are affected by it," added Fritz, the runner-up to Jannik Sinner at the U.S. Open in September last year and seeded No. 4 in Australia. "I feel like if you're in a place to help, then you should."

Fritz will take on French veteran Gael Monfils in the third round of this year's first grand slam on Saturday (January 18) for a berth in the fourth round at the Melbourne Park.

Since January 7, 2025, a series of wildfires have affected the Los Angeles metropolitan area and surrounding regions. Authorities have not determined a cause for the major blazes in what is on track to become the nation's costliest fire disaster, with at least 25 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed.