Charlie Smith
SPAIN’S Rafael Nadal and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic have announced a donation of €447,003 to the Australian bushfire efforts.
World number one Rafa lost in straight sets 6-2 7-6 (7-4) against the second-ranked Serb in the ATP Cup team final in Sydney.
The win made it 1-1 after Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Dusan Lajovic 7-5 6-1.
In doubles, Viktor Troicki and Djokovic then beat Feliciano Lopez and Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3 6-4 to make it 2-1 overall.
Djokovic said: “I will remember this experience for the rest of my life.
“It’s definitely one of the nicest moments of my career.”
It was after the final that he and Nadal then announced that the ATP (Association of Professional Tennis Players) would pledge relief funds to help tackle the Australian bushfires, which have killed 27 people and burned 10 million hectares of land.
The cash will be divided between the Nature Recovery Fund and WWF Australian Wildlife.
“Australia is such an amazing and welcoming country and it feels like home for us at the start of each season,” said Djokovic.
“To see the damage to wildlife and nature has been devastating.”
