The four-time grand slam champion is in Melbourne for the Australian Open while fires devastate her home city. Los Angeles resident Naomi Osaka has revealed the impact of the wildfires raging across southern California as the four-time grand slam champion revealed the flames have been as close as three blocks away from her house.
![[Coco Gauff writes a message of support for firefighters battling wildfires in Los Angeles at the Australian Open Monday]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/13/13/SEI235808320.jpg)
Osaka is in Melbourne competing at the Australian Open but sent her wishes to her home city after beating Caroline Garcia in the opening round on Monday. The 27-year-old said that the wildfires have been on her mind while she has been away and asked friends back home to retrieve valuables such as her daughter Shai’s birth certificate from her home.
“I’ve been watching the fire map and the fire is three blocks from my house,” Osaka said on her on-court interview. “I had someone go and get my daughter’s birth certificate and all that because I didn’t know what would happen if it burned down.
“I guess I’m sending all my love to LA. I know we hear about fires but I didn’t know how devastating it could be. I hope everyone is doing well and I’m sending them my love.”. Osaka also wrote “I heart LA” on a court-side camera after her interview, after Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek also used their first-round victories at the Australian Open to send messages of support to California.
