Casper Ruud glad to contribute to auction for earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria

Casper Ruud recently expressed his happiness at one of his shots from the 2022 ATP Finals becoming a contributing factor in an NFT (Non-Fungible Token).

The ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) will soon auction the NFT. The proceeds will be used to help the victims of the dreadful earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Two horrific earthquakes of 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter scale struck south-eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, last week. More than 20 thousand people reportedly lost their lives and thousands were severely injured, along with large-scale property damage.

On Tuesday, the ATP took to social media to reveal that it was set to auction an NFT from the 'Love' collection of digital artworks. It was a collaboration of the ATP Tour, Art Blocks Engine, and Martin Grasser. The collection claims to use sports data from the matches at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. and celebrate the important moments.

"We’re auctioning a one-of-a-kind NFT from LOVE #TheTennisArtProject to support our Tennis Plays for Love fundraiser. This will help those impacted by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria," the ATP Tour tweeted.

The aforementioned NFT features an ace from World No. 4 Ruud during his round-robin match against America's Taylor Fritz. The Norwegian defeated the seventh-ranked player 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6) and also reached the finals, where Novak Djokovic downed him in straight sets.

Responding to the ATP Tour's tweet on Wednesday (February 15), Ruud expressed satisfaction that one of his shots was making a difference in helping those in need.

"Love that one of my shots is supporting those in need. All proceeds going to Turkey and Syria earthquake relief," Casper Ruud wrote.

---

Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe, and Victoria Azarenka to play charity match

Casper Ruud to join hands with other celebrities

Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe, and Victoria Azarenka are all set to participate in the 19th edition of the charity tennis event, Desert Smash. It will be held at the La Quinta resort in California on March 7, one day before the BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) kicks off.

Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk and Croatia's Donna Vekic will join Ruud, Tiafoe, and Azarenka. The event will see a number of celebrities walk the red carpet. Some of them will even pick up a racquet and step on the court alongside professional players for a doubles match. There will also be an after-party in the evening, called the Desert Smash Bash.

"Join us for the big match! Desert Smash is the most recognized celebrity tennis event in the world, bringing the biggest names in Hollywood, music & pro tennis together to battle on-court for charity," organizers tweeted.