Croatian tennis player Donna Vekic sends a message of love to LA because of the wildfires

MELBOURNE, Australia — Australian Open tennis player Donna Vekic sent a message of support to her coach, Pam Shriver, and others in the greater Los Angeles area dealing with the wildfires ravaging the city — drawing a heart and writing “LA” in blue ink on a courtside TV camera after a victory on Sunday.

Vekic, who reached Wimbledon’s semifinals last July and won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics for Croatia last August, defeated Diane Parry of France 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of this season’s first Grand Slam tournament.

Players on bigger courts at various tennis tournaments often are handed a pen and encouraged to write something on the lens of a television camera. Vekic used the opportunity at the Australian Open to offer good vibes to California, where she trained with Shriver during her sport’s just-concluded preseason.

“We were just there two weeks ago,” Vekic said. “So I really cannot believe what’s happening.”

She said she is in touch daily with Shriver, who won 21 Grand Slam titles in doubles and reached No. 3 in singles as a player.

“It’s a very difficult situation for her,” Vekic said. “She’s home in L.A. Her house is OK for now, but so many have lost everything, and it’s a horrible situation.”