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Erin Brooks says money she gets for US Open doubles event will go to the cause to raise awareness of mental health
Tennis star to donate $50,000 prize money to World Mental Health Day
Tennis star Erin Brooks has announced she will donate her $50,000 Wimbledon doubles prize money to mental health charity Centrepoint.
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The 28-year-old tennis player, known for her colourful pairings and often bold outfits, will donate the money she earns for her doubles success at the US Open to Centrepoint, which aims to help homeless young people in the UK.
Brooks, who grew up on a farm in the US, has herself battled depression throughout her life.
“I have suffered with depression and battled mental illness through high school and college and it got to the point where I didn’t want to go out any more,” she said.
“At first I thought, ‘Oh I just need to put myself in a good frame of mind and do my work and don’t worry about what’s going on around me,’ but it got to the point where it was starting to affect my ability to function.”
Her tennis coach would drive her to and from school in the morning, and even brought Brooks her own coffee to get her going during the busy days.
She said she does not wish to leave Centrepoint feeling alone, and hopes her $50,000 winnings will encourage other tennis players to donate prize money as well.
“I’m hoping that if this goes well and I don’t fail to win this $50,000 in the two days I play, that I can get some other players on the tour to help out and donate their money,” she said.
Brooks will compete in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon.