Sharapova, in Melbourne for the Australian Open, presented the donation to Leonid P. Moiseev, the Russian ambassador to Australia, in a ceremony outside the Crown Towers hotel that included representatives of Porsche Australia. Through its generosity and presenting sponsorship of the WTA Tour Championships, Porsche annually awards the singles winner of the prestigious tournament a new Porsche to be donated to a charity chosen by the player.

“Making this donation was the least that I could do to help the innocent victims in my country who were tragically affected by th is senseless act,’’ Sharapova said. “I encourage everyone to do as much as they can to bring at least a little bit of comfort and support to these victims and their families who are still stricken with grief and sadness.’’

Earlier this month, Sharapova, 17, donated $10,000 to a relief fund for tsunami victims, joining several Tour players who have also made contributions on behalf of tsunami victims, including at the Australian Open where players collected donations from fans at the tournament. In December , she participated in a Florida exhibition match that raised money for victims of a recent series of hurricanes in Florida.