Marcus Daniell wins Arthur Ashe award

New Zealand tennis player Marcus Daniell has been recognised for his charity work, being awarded the ATP’s Arthur Ashe Humanitarian award.

Daniell, the Olympic bronze medallist in doubles at the Tokyo Games, established a charity called High Impact Athletes who pledge a percentage of their winnings to the charity which then funds health and environmental work around the world.

Previous winners include former South African President Nelson Mandela, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

“It never sat perfectly with me how self-absorbed professional sport can be,” he said.

New Zealand’s Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell (right) with their Olympic bronze medals in Tokyo.


Photo: Photosport

“You take from the world, especially as a tennis player, where everything is about defeating the people around you. I’m a competitive person, but that isn’t all of who I want to be off the tennis court. I really wanted to give back and balance the scales, I just didn’t know how,” said Daniell.

“My journey in philanthropy began in 2015. It was the first year I focussed on doubles and it was also the first year I made money playing tennis. I was able to put some savings away in the bank at the end of the year and with that little bit of financial security came this really strong urge to give back.

Daniell said he had doubts about how charities might use the money he donated.

“The larger we make this snowball, the more positive impact we can have in the world” – @MarcusDaniell #ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/MljcbCQKNW

— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 14, 2021

“So I jumped on Google to search how I could best give back, and that’s where I first came across the effective altruism movement.”

He now pledges ten percent of his annual income to HIA.

“I don’t need a fancy car or an expensive watch or even an extra barista-made coffee each day to be happy.”

“It is incredibly humbling to look down the list of previous recipients and see who has received this honour. Their many accomplishments both on and off the court are staggering.”

Over 50 athletes including New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox and boxer Joseph Parker also contributed to the charity.

-RNZ