International Tennis icon Serena Williams ended her three-year championship drought, winning the WTA Auckland Classic final.
Williams, in a gesture from the heart, also donated her winner’s cheque to victims of the Australian bushfires.
This victory marks William’s first WTA trophy, following her win in Melbourne back in 2017. She has now likewise raised expectations for the upcoming Australian Open, where fans hope for Williams to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles, following her 6-3, 6-4 victory over Jessica Pegula.
The 38-year-old tennis star took the celebrations even further as she donated her US$43,000 winner’s cheque for the benefit of the Australian bushfire victims, as per reports from Agence France Presse.
Williams then shared how the ongoing tragedy in Australia had affected her deeply: “I’ve been playing in Australia for over 20 years and it’s been really hard for me to watch all the news and everything that has been happening in Australia with all the fire and… animals and people that have lost their homes,” she said.
“I decided at the beginning of the tournament… I’d donate all my prize money for a great cause.”
It is Williams’ first title since 2017 — and her first as a mother — since she won the Australian Open while pregnant. Her 73 WTA titles now stretch across four decades, after she won her first in 1999.
“It’s been a long time, I think you could see the relief on my face,” she said, adding she could feel her game sharpening up as she prepares to head to Melbourne.
