Pat Rafter has secretly donated more than $400,000 to fund a leisure room for terminally ill children at a Brisbane hospital.

Rafter's family and friends have kept private for 11 months the extent of his support of the Starlight Foundation from his $US650,000 prize money cheque which went with his 1997 US open championship win in New York.

Rafter yesterday closed in on the world's no 1 ranking by winning the ATP Championship in Mason, Ohio, over American rival Pete Samprass- his first defeat over the five time Wimbledon championship since 1993- in the lead up to the defence of his US Open title from August 31.

In Queensland yesterday the Rafter clan were wondering how the information had escaped. A Cincinnati newspaper carried a mention of a Rafter donation last Friday.

Steve Rafter, an elder brother and manager of the world's no 3 player , yesturday confirmed the donation had taken place.

"Pat didn't want it known that he had made the donation and I don't know what he will think about it getting out" he said. "This part of an on-going situation where PAt is supporting charities he particually likes"

Funding from the Starlight Foundation will see a room, incorporating a small television studio , opened at the Brisbane Hospital later this year.

'It will be a bright colourful room with television and games and things for the kids-to take them away from their health problems for a while" said Rafter's sister Lousie .

"Patrick specifically wanted to support a Starlight room being at Brisbane hospital. He bacame interested in the Starlight Foundation three or four years ago when he attended a charity tennis day and dinner in Sydney".

Steve Rafter said his brother wanted to set up his own charity foundation, as Australian sportsmen Greg Norman and Peter Brock have done.

Rafter has earned more than $US5.5 million in career prize money, but with taxes and travelling costs taken out of his earnings the extent of the lump sum donation stunned his friends.

Daily Telegraph (Australian Newspaper)