Naomi Osaka to Donate Prize Money From Tennis Tournament to Haiti Relief

Tennis sensation Naomi Osaka has announced that she will donate prize earnings from the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament to relief efforts in Haiti, where a 7.2 magnitude earthquake has devastated the country. More than 1,400 people have died and over 7,000 people are injured. 

Osaka, who is of Haitian and Japanese descent, could potentially win $225,000 for first place or $188,945 for the runner-up position. She is seeded No. 2 and will be playing her first tournament since the Tokyo Olympics, where she shockingly lost in the third round. The 23 year old finished second at the Western & Southern Open last year after withdrawing from the final match due to a hamstring injury.

The situation in Haiti is expected to worsen as Tropical Storm Grace reaches the country, bringing torrential rainfall that could result in flooding and mudslides. 

“Really hurts to see all the devastation that’s going on in Haiti, and I feel like we really can’t catch a break” tweeted Osaka, whose father is Haitian. “I’m about to play a tournament this week and I’ll give all my prize money to relief efforts for Haiti. I know our ancestors’ blood is strong we’ll keep rising.”

Several other celebrities have stepped up and said they will help rally support for Haiti, including rapper Wyclef Jean, who is from the Caribbean country. He posted a video to Instagram calling on people to “please do your part so we can help the country.”

Rapper Cardi B also tweeted about the situation, saying: “I got a soft spot for Haiti and its people.”

Actor and Hamilton creator Lin Manuel-Miranda wrote that he is donating to Fonkoze and CORE, and encouraged his followers to do the same.

Image source: Insider