Billie Jean King will be donating $50,000 to support humanitarian relief efforts for the war in Ukraine, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Thursday.
The United States will host Ukraine next week in a qualifier for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals — the revamped Fed Cup which was renamed in honor of King, a 12-times Grand Slam singles champion and the founder of the Women's Tennis Association.
The USTA previously said it will contribute 10% of its ticket revenue from the tie towards relief efforts in Ukraine, while the sport's seven governing bodies each donated $100,000.
Russia has been banned from defending its title following the country's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation." Belarus, a key staging area for the invasion, has also been banned from the competition.
Ukraine will take on the United States in a best-of-five qualifier on April 15-16. The tie will be played at an indoor hardcourt venue in Asheville, North Carolina.
The winners will qualify for the 2022 finals, scheduled to be held in November.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.