Murray to donate Queen’s winnings to disaster appeal
Murray to donate prize money to Grenfell victims
SIR Andy Murray will donate any prize money he wins at this week’s Queen’s Club Championship to the victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster.
Murray is due to begin his defence of his 2016 win on the grass courts of the Aegon Championships when he plays British number four Aljaz Bedene today.
The competition, a key stage in the warm-up for Wimbledon, takes place just two miles from the burnt-out West London tower block.
Tournament sources said that Murray, 30, had asked for all his prize money to be directed to the relief effort, but his management declined to comment. If the world number one was to win a sixth title it would mean a £350,000 boost to the relief effort.
In 2013, he gave his £75,000 winnings to the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital after his friend Ross Hutchins was diagnosed with the disease.
Murray’s first test in this year’s competition will come at 2.40pm today when takes on British number four Aljaz Bedene. He has not lost on grass since 2015, fuelling hopes that he will bag the money for the fire victims.
Andy MurrAy is set to donate the prize money he wins at this week’s Aegon Championships to the fund supporting victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster.
If the world no 1 were to win a sixth title at London’s Queen’s Club — only two miles away from the site of the tragedy — it would mean a £350,000 boost to the relief effort.
Tournament sources said that he had asked for all his prize money to be directed there, although the player’s management declined to comment, describing it as a private matter.
It is not the first time that Murray has made such a move, as in 2013 he gave his winner’s cheque to the royal Marsden cancer hospital, after his friend and fellow player ross
Hutchins was diagnosed with the disease.
Back then, the victor’s purse was £75,000, but the event has since been upgraded to ‘500’ status and now offers £350,000 to whoever lifts the trophy next sunday.
The following year, Murray was instrumental in organising the ‘Rally For Bally’, which saw tennis players and celebrities raising money in memory of former British No 1 and fellow scot elena Baltacha, who died of liver cancer in 2014.
In November, he will be staging a repeat of last year’s charity exhibition in Glasgow, where he will face Roger Federer. In 2016, it raised £300,000 for UNICeF and local charities and is expected to exceed that this time around.
The Aegon tournament is also expected to make a significant donation to support the victims of the fire.
Murray has become known for his involvement in social issues outside tennis, particularly equal rights, and last week backed the Great Get Together in memory of the murdered MP Jo Cox.
Today, he kicks off his grass-court campaign and preparations in earnest for Wimbledon with a first-round match against British No4 Aljaz Bedene.
After his triumphant run through Queen’s and Wimbledon last year, Murray has not lost on grass since 2015, but comes into this event with a relatively modest season record of 21-8.
Ascot Racecourse will also contribute, announcing a £100,000 donation. And Royal Ascot will begin today with a minute’s silence to remember the victims of recent tragedies across Britain.