Taylor Fritz turns emotional as he reveals devastating LA wildfires impact on family & friends

Taylor Fritz recently revealed the rationale behind making donations for the LA wildfire relief. A former resident of the affected state, the World No. 4 revealed the emotional loss he suffered despite being located miles apart for the ongoing major event in Melbourne.

According to the latest reports, the situation in LA had laid disastrous impact not just in terms of the property but people's well-being. With the death toll rising to 25 now, sources claim that more than 30 people have gone missing amid mass fleeing from the affected regions in Southern California. Amid this, Fritz announced donating all of his prize money from the Australian Open to the cause.

In a press conference following his win over Cristian Garin in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday, Taylor Fritz revealed the real reason behind his charitable act. Talking about how he has spent some quality time with friends and family in LA, Fritz said:

"I feel like it's the least I can do. I've obviously SoCal's been my home forever and you know I spent a lot of time, I still spent a lot of time in LA but I lived in LA for quite a while. I have friends impacted family, not so much, you know, a lot of my family have to evacuate the house that my brothers grew up in burnt down. Obviously we're not living there anymore but yeah I mean a lot of people are affected by it and I feel like if you're in a place to help then you should," he said (0:30 onwards).

Although Taylor Fritz clarified that none of his relatives were affected by the wildfire directly, his decision to contribute to the restoration cause was highly appreciated.

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Taylor Fritz's opponent Gael Monfils opens up on reason behind his motivation ahead of 3R clash

TENNIS: JAN 16 Australian Open - Source: Getty

Gael Monfils, who will face Taylor Fritz in the third round of the 2025 Australian Open unveiled his thoughts ahead of the anticipated showdown. After becoming the oldest ATP star to secure a tour-level title in Auckland, Gael Monfils talked about finding the motivation to remain consistent.

After an impressive win over Daniel Altmaier in the second round of the Australian Major, Monfils disclosed how love for his family fuels his motivation levels on the court.

"The same thing drove me last year, just trying to be consistent. Try to stay healthy as much as I can. [At the] end of last year I was playing pretty great tennis, felt good, but then I fell a bit short because I got sick. I had time to enjoy with my daughter. I've been fortunate at the beginning of the season. The body felt good. I was hitting good. I'm just surfing on the moment," he said.

Taylor Fritz will meet Gael Monfils at the Melbourne Park on Saturday, 18th January. The two have faced each other once before, with the American coming out on top in their encounter at the 2019 Australian Open.

While he has already locked in $290,000 by making it to the third round, the exact amount of donation for the fire relief cause from the American is yet to be disclosed.