Nick Kyrgios to donate $50 per ace to help Monica Puig's Puerto Rico relief fund

Australian world No 19 is currently playing in the China Open and next takes on Steve Darcis in the quarter-finals.

epa06243404 Nick Kyrgios of Australia serves against Mischa Zverev of Germany during their men's singles second round match of the China Open tennis tournament at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, China, 04 October 2017. EPA/WU HONG

Nick Kyrgios sent down 11 aces in his China Open win against Mischa Zverev on Wednesday. Wu Hong / EPA

Agence France Presse
Oct 05, 2017
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He has been labelled as the bad boy of tennis but Nick Kyrgios demonstrated his generous side in pledging $50 (Dh184) for storm-hit Puerto Rico each time he hits an ace.

The 22-year-old Australian initially said he would give $10 for each ace towards emergency relief on the US island following Hurricane Maria, which hit two weeks ago leaving more than 30 people dead and thousands homeless.

But in a tweet Kyrgios subsequently wrote: "You know what? I'm upping my offer... to $50 per ace. Let's help Puerto Rico."

Kyrgios, the talented but sometimes troubled world No 19, sent down 11 aces in beating Germany's Mischa Zverev at the China Open on Wednesday and will meet the Belgian Steve Darcis in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Monica Puig, the 68th-ranked player from Puerto Rico, is drumming up support from the tennis community to help.

Former No 1 Maria Sharapova, dumped out of Beijing on Wednesday by Simona Halep, plans to travel to the stricken US territory with Puig to do her bit.

"When you're not there, you know how much people are suffering, but you don't really feel it," said the Russian.

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