Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has vowed to donate all the prize money she earns from her next tournament to those affected by a devastating earthquake in Haiti.
On Saturday a 7.2-magnitude quake struck the west side of the country which resulted in extensive damage and fatalities. According to the latest official figures, at least 304 people have been killed and a further 1800 have been injured. The Prime Minister has declared a month-long state of emergency with many people now left homeless as a result of buildings being either damaged or completely flattened.
Reacting to the disaster on social media, Osaka says she will donate all the money she earns at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati. Should she win the title, the former world No.1 will earn $255,220 which is a drop of just over 10% compared to 2020.
“Really hurts to see all the devastation that’s going on in Haiti, and I feel like we really can’t catch a break,” Osaka wrote on Twitter.
“I’m about to play a tournament this week and I’ll give all the prize money to relief efforts for Haiti. I know our ancestors blood is strong we’ll keep rising.”
Osaka’s is half-Haitian with her father, Leonard Francois, coming from the country. She was born in Japan where her mother Tamaki is from but has lived in America since the age of three. She has represented Japan throughout her entire career as a player.
Back in June Forbes magazine named the 23-year-old as the highest-paid female athlete in history. According to their findings, Osaka made $60M over a 12-month period with $55M of that coming from endorsements alone. Overall, she is ranked as the 12th highest-earning athlete in the world between 2020-2021.
The world No.2 has only played one tournament since taking a break from the sport due to mental health reasons. At the Tokyo Olympics, she was selected to light the flame during the opening ceremony. In the tennis tournament, she lost in the third round to Marketa Vondrousova.
Osaka will start her campaign at the Western and Southern Open against either Coco Gauff or a qualifier.
