Ecuadorian Tennis Players Shining Bright During Dark Times

In the midst of one of the most scandalous years in tennis, a few Ecuadorian players provide a beacon of hope. 

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the region of Ecuador about 250 miles south of Quito. The quake and powerful aftershocks claimed the lives of more than 650 and injured thousands.

Former ATP World Tour players Andres Gomez, Luis Adrian Morejon, Raul Antonio Viver, Nicolas Lapentti and Giovanni Lapentti worked with the Ecuadorian Federation of Tennis (FET) to help centralize humanitarian efforts. They also helped spread the word about where to make donations. 

Nicolas Lapentti, who reached a career-high No. 6 ranking in November 1999, told the ATP Tour staff that the efforts makes him proud to be an Ecuadorian:

After this tragedy in my country, I feel even more proud to be Ecuadorian and see how the whole community has rallied to help all victims and families affected after the earthquake. I wanted to contribute and, through the local Tennis Federation and the tennis community, help the victims, leaving instructions for people to make donations in this place and trying to alleviate this difficult time.

Meanwhile, Ecuadorian-born Irina Falconi started a GoFundMe account for victims. Falconi, who plays for the U.S., was competing in the Claro Open in Bogota, Colombia, and on her way to capturing her first WTA Tour title when Portoviejo, the town where she was …

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