NEW YORK (AP) — NBA star Jimmy Butler takes a swing in another sport Wednesday night, dressed as a member of the ball crew of the US Open to do the duties and get a racket to play with Frances TiafoeCarlos Alcaraz and Sebastián Yatra in a charity event that raised $320,000 for humanitarian relief in Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and the war there continues.
Butler, who led the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals last season before losing to the Denver Nuggets, is not new to tennis and is friend of 2022 French Open runner-up Coco Gauff.
He teams up with Tiafoe, a semifinalist at last year’s US Open, in doubles against the defending champion Alcaraz and Grammy winner Yatra.
Other just-for-fun exhibitions at the Stars of the Open at Louis Armstrong Stadium include John McEnroe, Gabriela Sabatini, Jessica Pegula, Matteo Berrettini, Elena Svitolina, Gael Monfils, Chris Eubanks and Jennifer Brady.
The US Open starts on Monday.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis