People Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula devoted their Australian Open first-round wins to Los Angeles and the firefighters who’ve been tackling the devastating wildfires.
Third seed Gauff, one of many favourites for the title in Melbourne, beat compatriot and 2020 champion Sofia Kenin 6-3 6-3.
Gauff wrote “keep robust LA, thanks firefighters” on the digicam lens after her victory.
She and Taylor Fritz have beforehand donated to a charity effort to assist these affected.
Seventh seed Pegula wrote “LA” and drew a love coronary heart on the lens after her dominant 6-3 6-0 victory over Australian wildcard Maya Joint.
Poland’s world quantity two Iga Swiatek earlier signed “sending my like to Malibu and LA”.
The five-time Grand Slam champion started her Australian Open marketing campaign with a 6-3 6-4 win over Czech Katarina Siniakova.
The fires, which started on 7 January, are being marked as essentially the most harmful within the metropolis’s historical past.
The LA County medical expert mentioned on Sunday that 24 individuals have died within the fires, whereas at the least one other 16 stay lacking.
Donna Vekic, who’s coached by American Pam Shriver, additionally despatched a message to town after her first-round win on Sunday.
Shriver has stayed behind in LA to assist her household.