Serena Williams ends 3-year title drought
January 12, 2020
Tennis star Serena Williams won the World Tennis Association (WTA) Auckland Classic final on Sunday, her first title in three years. The American athlete donated her prize winnings to victims of the Australian bushfires.
Williams, 38, beat fellow American Jessica Pegula, 25, with a 6-3 6-4 victory. The win was Williams' 73rd WTA title and her first since she became a mother.
Williams then donated her winner's check to the Australian bushfire relief fund, totaling $43,000.
Before Sunday's victory, her most recent title was the 2017 Australian Open, which she won while pregnant.
Read more: Australian bushfires: The canary building the coal mine
"I've been playing in Australia for over 20 years and it's been really hard for me to watch all the news and everything that has been happening in Australia with all the fire and... animals and people that have lost their homes," she said when presented with Sunday's winnings.
"I decided at the beginning of the tournament... I'd donate all my prize money for a great cause," she added.
The victory raises expectations that Williams could win at the Australian Open later this month. It would be Williams' 24th Grand Slam title, which would tie her with record holder Margaret Court.
kp/stb (AFP, AP, Reuters)
Every evening, DW sends out a selection of the day's news and features. Sign up here.