ATP Tour

Tommy Paul & Paige Lorenze launch foundation: 'We need to be giving back'

Tommy Paul is making his way through the Australian Open draw, advancing to the fourth round at Melbourne Park for the third time in four years. But the American is leaving his mark off the court, too.

Paul and fiancee Paige Lorenze recently announced the creation of the Kids Outdoors Foundation, which creates opportunities for kids without the financial means to play sports to do so.

“Our goal is to encourage kids to get outdoors and play sports,” Paul told ATPTour.com. “The more programmes and kids we are able to support the better.”

Paul has been a fixture towards the top of the ATP Tour for years, reaching No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings last year. Lorenze is now a content creator, but she used to be a competitive downhill ski racer and now enjoys horseback riding. They want to ensure kids have the same opportunities they have.

“I think it’s super important, especially for people like me and Paige,” Paul said. “Sports have put us in the position that we’re in right now. We need to be giving back and I’m excited to start doing this and really getting it going, especially in South Florida and Eastern North Carolina, where I came from.

“There’s not too much tennis really going on there. So anything I can do to really push that forward and bring it back is exciting.”

The Kids Outdoors Foundation will fund pre-existing programmes that give kids access to sports with high financial barriers, like tennis, skiing and horseback riding and also create new opportunities. The goal is to fund nonprofit organisations that are already doing great work for kids in the community to help increase their impact.

Paul did not compete after last year’s US Open due to a foot injury. That period away from the court helped the American turn his attention to how he could give back.

“I would say it’s something that I’ve wanted do for a while,” Paul said. “The break that I had — the amount of time that I had off — provided us with the time needed to get it up and running.”

Paul will take on World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals. The Spaniard leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 5-2.

“It’s always an interesting matchup. Always a great challenge playing Carlos. He can really do anything on the court. Lightning fast. He's like the standard that everyone's trying to catch up to right now,” Paul said in a press conference after his third-round match in Melbourne. “But you’ve got to go into that with excitement, be ready to face that, be ready to bring your best level, believe in yourself.

“That's something that I bring to the table every time I play Carlos. I believe I can win every time I go out there. Without that, you're going out there with no purpose.”