Australian wildfire: Maria Sharapova pledges $17,400, urges Djokovic to match her donation

Maria Sharapova is the latest athlete to pledge a donation for the victims of the Australian wildfire. In a tweet on Sunday, the Russian said that she was 'heartbroken' to see the loss of life and property and pledged to donate $17,400. She also urged World Number 2 Novak Djokovic to match her donation.

READ: Australia Bushfire Crisis: PM Sets Up National Bushfire Recovery Agency, Toll Climbs To 24

Sharapova announces donation

Many tennis stars have pledged donations in various ways. Some have stated that they will be pledging a certain amount per ace scored, others have directly pledged a certain amount. 

The wave of donations started after Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios prodded Tennis Australia to start campaigns to raise funds and decided to start one of his own. Once he announced his campaign, many others followed. 

Earlier, Djokovic stated that the Australian Open might have to be postponed by a few days so that players' health is not affected due to the intense smoke. Djokovic, who is the President of the ATP Players' Council, said that there was a possibility of postponement and it had to be considered.  “You have to consider it because of some extreme weather or conditions. That’s probably the very, very last option. (But) if it comes down to ...the conditions affecting the health of players, you have to consider it."

READ: Novak Djokovic: 'May Have To Delay Australian Open If Wildfire Smoke Haze Worsens'

The wildfires in Australia have lead to thousands of people losing their homes and more than 450 million animals have lost their lives. Around 20 people have lost their lives and Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister has been facing criticism for going on a holiday with his family and not taking enough steps to solve the issue. 

Tennis officials last week took the unprecedented decision to relocate the Canberra International — an ATP Challenger 125 event and on the women's ITF World Tennis Tour, which serves as a stepping stone to the full tour. They said play would not have been possible in the Australian capital which has been choked by smoke, with the tournament now due to start Monday at Bendigo in Victoria.

READ: Australia Bushfire Crisis: PM Scott Morrison Sets Up National Bushfire Recovery Agency, Toll Climbs To 24

On Saturday, the government announced that 3,000 Army, Navy and Air Force reservists will be deployed to battle against the fires. A commitment of $14 million to leasing fire-fighting aircraft from overseas was also made.

READ: Near-death Experience Gives Naomi Osaka Perspective