How players' bushfire-relief pledges added up
The Australian Open may have come to a close, but the bushfires in the country burn on, and the need for assistance in affected areas continues.
At the beginning of the season, Nick Kyrgios started a movement among tennis players, pledging 200 Australian dollars for every ace he'd hit during the summer swing. Many others quickly joined him, promising donations for everything from double faults to match wins.
Kyrgios, for his part, popped 69 aces at the ATP Cup, plus 100 more in Melbourne (tied for most in the tournament, despite a fourth-round exit), for a grand total of $33,800.
Here's how some of his fellow competitors fared, with estimates of what they would donate:
Simona Halep
Action: Giving coach Darren Cahill "a hard time" ($200)
Instances: 100 (per Halep's self-reporting)
Total: $20,000
Ashleigh Barty
Donation: Entirety of her Brisbane prize money
Result: Singles second round, doubles runner-up
Total: about $34,757
Alex de Minaur
Action: Hitting an ace ($250)
Instances: 18 in ATP Cup, missed Australian Open with abdominal injury
Total: $4,500
Belinda Bencic
Action: Double-fautling ($200)
Instances: 10 in Adelaide + 16 in Australian Open
Total: $5,200
John Millman
Action: Hitting an ace ($100)
Instances: 13 in ATP Cup + 14 in Auckland + 21 in Australian Open
Total: $4,800
Alexander Zverev
Action: Winning a match in Melbourne ($10,000)
Instances: 5
Total: $50,000
Dylan Alcott
Action: Serving an ace ($100 + $700 from partnering companies)
Instances: 42
Total: $33,600, donation bumped up to $40,000
John Isner
Action: Hitting an ace ($100) + 25 percent of prize money
Result: 85 aces + third-round finish
Total: $53,500
Karolina Pliskova
Action: Serving an ace ($200)
Instances: 42 in Brisbane + 19 in Australian Open
Total: $12,200
Meanwhile, at the superstar level Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova all pledged substantial flat donations.
