Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal And Serena Williams To Headline Exhibition Event To Help Bushfire Victims

Swiss great Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams are all set to headline an exhibition event to help the victims of the Australian bushfires. In fact, the exhibition will also see the likes of Nick Kyrgios, Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Stefanos Tsitsipas participating.

The event has been named as the Rally for Relief. It will be held on the Rod Laver Arena on the evening of January 15.

Australian Open put out a tweet through its official Twitter account. It announced the event and confirmed that tickets are on sale. In addition, Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley explained the other things about the tournament.

What Did Craig Tiley Say?

Craig Tiley confirmed that a new air quality policy has been put in place for the Australian Open. This will also be followed at the Rally for Relief.

This has been done to address concerns regarding the smoke having adverse effects on the health of players and fans.

“This is a new experience for not only us but across the world in this sport. But we lead the world with the extreme heat policy and we expect to do the same with air quality.”

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Moreover, he confirmed that real-time monitoring will be put in place.

Talking about the nature of the event, he explained that the format will be as innovative as possible. Therefore, the matches will be a combination of singles and doubles competitions.

The tickets will be available on Ticketmaster with all proceeds going to the bushfire victims.

How Have Players Like Roger Federer Responded?

Craig Tiley revealed that players like Roger Federer have been extremely supportive of Tennis Australia’s efforts to raise funds.

“I’m really proud of the playing group because the number of calls and emails I’ve got with everyone stepping forward and either giving money or making themselves available”- said Tiley. 

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It is really commendable to see the tournament go all out to help the bushfire victims. What started out with a special effort from Nick Kyrgios has now expanded to include players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Let’s hope the movement continues to grow and the sport of tennis is able to create more conversations about serious issues.