The season of giving: Marcus Daniell's inspiring holiday tradition
Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist and new IOC Athletes' Commission member Daniell has dedicated the twilight of his tennis career to philanthropy. From his Back With Impact retirement tour to 'Giving Tuesday', discover how he turns gratitude into action.
Tennis
As the world gathers to celebrate the holiday season, there’s a universal warmth that accompanies it: a time for giving, gratitude, and reflection.
For New Zealand’s Olympic bronze medalist and professional tennis player Marcus Daniell, this spirit of generosity extends far beyond his loved ones.
Daniell has dedicated much of his career to giving back, not just through financial contributions but by creating a ripple effect of kindness that touches lives across the globe. And this time of year holds particular significance.
“The holiday season is a time to gather with family and think about what we’re grateful for,” Daniell told Olympics.com.
“For me, this gratitude triggers the realisation that I’m incredibly lucky to have been born in a wealthy country with all of the opportunity and comfort that entails. The majority of people in the world are not so lucky, and giving to highly impactful charities focused on those who need it most is a fantastic way to share some of our good fortune.”
The Kiwi's philanthropic efforts were recognised by his fellow athletes earlier this year as he was voted onto the IOC Athletes' Commission at Paris 2024.
A legacy of generosity
The highlight of Daniell's career was winning men's doubles bronze alongside Michael Venus at Tokyo 2020 for New Zealand's first and, to date, only Olympic tennis medal. But it is his commitment to giving that has truly defined his legacy.
After enduring knee injuries which kept him off the court for two years, Daniell returned with a renewed sense of purpose. Naming his final season the Back With Impact Tour, he announced his retirement earlier this year with an ambitious goal: to raise $100,000 for 12 carefully selected high-impact charities. These organisations, chosen for their evidence-based approaches, address critical global issues such as climate change, extreme poverty, and animal welfare.
Daniell committed to donating half of his prize money, and the results speak volumes. To date, the initiative has positively impacted 44,310 people, 139,481 animals, and mitigated 59,925 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. With $92,987 raised and one tournament remaining - the Auckland Classic on home soil at the end of December - Daniell is on the brink of reaching his goal.
But this is by no means the first time Daniell has championed philanthropy. His commitment to evidence-based giving runs deep, most notably through High Impact Athletes (HIA), the organisation he founded in 2020. HIA encourages athletes to donate to rigorously vetted charities that maximise the impact of every dollar.
Since its inception, HIA has grown into a global movement of over 200 athletes, including tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas and New Zealand cricketer Lockie Ferguson, uniting them in a shared mission to foster a culture of giving within sports.
“As athletes, we have an amazing opportunity to use the power of sport for good and engage fans to help make the world a better place,” he said. “My hope is that this commitment will inspire both fans and fellow athletes to consider the impact we can collectively achieve.”
Daniell's wish is that HIA is not needed in the future with advocacy and philanthropy becoming the norm. “The moonshot goal for HIA is that we cease to exist,” he told Forbes.com.
Until that vision becomes a reality, Daniell remains steadfast in his mission to expand HIA’s reach and inspire others to give back.
Holiday traditions that inspire
For Daniell, the spirit of giving takes on even more meaning during the holiday season. His most cherished tradition? Participating in Giving Tuesday, an annual event which encourages people around the world to donate to causes close to their hearts.
“Giving Tuesday is generally the last Tuesday of November or the first Tuesday of December,” Daniell shared with Olympics.com. “On that day, I give at least 10 per cent of my annual earnings to the charities that research says are the most effective and impactful, ie. they help the most beings per dollar donated.
"This year, my last year on the ATP Tour, I gave 50 per cent of my prize money to a selection of 12 charities to end my career on a generous note.”
For many, this idea of giving away a significant portion of one’s income might seem daunting. But Daniell sees it as one of the most rewarding aspects of his life.
"This is one of the things that brings the most joy into my life. Helping others makes you feel good, and for most of us, our quality of life won’t change by giving a small percentage of our earnings each year,” said the 35-year-old.
This philosophy was shaped by Daniell’s upbringing in New Zealand, where his family instilled in him a love for nature and a sense of responsibility to protect it. It was further influenced by Australian moral philosopher Peter Singer, whose work on effective altruism inspired Daniell to align his values with impactful action.
This holiday season, some might be encouraged to take a page from Marcus Daniell’s playbook. As he reminds us, the joy of giving is one of the most profound gifts of all.