Serena Williams Donates Winnings to Australian Bushfire Relief After Securing Her First Title in 3 Years

Serena Williams is kicking off 2020 on a high note.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion secured her first title in three years on Sunday at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand — but she’s not keeping her prize money. Williams has donated her $43,000 in winnings to assist those who have been impacted by the Australian bushfires.

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Williams defeated Jessica Pegula, a fellow American, in straight sets (6-3, 6-4) in the women’s singles final Sunday. This is the star’s first title win since the birth of her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, in September 2017, and her 73rd overall.

In addition to donating funds to the fire relief efforts, Williams is joining fellow tennis stars, among them Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, in a charity match in Melbourne, Australia on Jan. 15. The tournament comes just ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australia Open, which will be played in Melbourne beginning Jan. 20. Williams will also compete at the Open, where she’ll look to finally nab the elusive 24th Grand Slam title.

A longtime Nike athlete, Williams is known for her on-court style, showing her personality in everything from leopard-print dresses to fierce catsuits to a collab with Off-White’s Virgil Abloh. Williams also has a namesake direct-to-consumer label, which showed in September at New York Fashion Week. Additionally, she has an eponymous venture capital fund, which supports female- and minority-founded businesses.

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