Naomi Osaka donates prize profits to Haiti earthquake relief efforts | Naomi Osaka

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Tennis star Naomi Osaka has announced she will donate prize winnings from her upcoming tournament to support relief efforts in Haiti, where a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed at least 1,297 people over the weekend and injured more than 5,700.

Osaka, who is of Haitian and Japanese descent, made the announcement on Twitter on Sunday.

She wrote: “It really pains me to see all the devastation that is happening in Haiti, and I feel like we can’t really take a break. I’m about to play a tournament this week and I will be giving away all the prize money to relief efforts in Haiti. I know our ancestors are strong and we will continue to rise.” .

The 23-year-old four-time Grand Slam champion plays the West and South Open in Cincinnati, which begins on Monday. The tournament winner is expected to win $255,220. The runner-up will receive $188,945.

Osaka, seeded No. 2 bye to the second round, will play her first tournament since the Tokyo Olympics, losing in the third round to Marketa Vondrosova. This performance came months after she withdrew from the French Open and Australian Open due to mental health concerns.

Osaka has used its growing platform to draw attention to issues such as police violence, racial justice, and stigmas surrounding mental health.

Saturday’s earthquake hit the southwestern part of Haiti, destroying towns and causing massive landslides.

There are many wounded. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Some treat people on the ground; “Some are just sending people home,” said Akim Kikunda, an air worker from Catholic Relief Services.

The damage is expected to worsen, with Tropical Storm Grace expected to reach the country late Monday or early Tuesday, bringing heavy rains that could trigger floods and mudslides.

Haiti’s prime minister, Ariel Henry, declared a one-month state of emergency and said he would not seek international assistance until the extent of the damage was known. He also called for “structural solidarity” to ensure the coordination of the relief response to avoid the confusion that followed the devastating earthquake in 2010, when aid was slow to reach the population.

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