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The Acapulco Open, the bastion of tennis in Latin America

2022-02-22T03:54:12.799Z


The Mexican tennis tournament hosts one of its most ambitious editions with the inauguration of the largest stadium in the region and seeks to avoid the wave of violence in the city


One of the stands of the Acapulco Open tennis stadium, this Monday. PEDRO PARDO (AFP)

Mexico has opened the doors to tennis for almost three decades.

What began as a tournament to warm up Mexican talents has become an attractive stop for the best in the world in the season.

For its twenty-ninth edition, they will open a new stadium for 10,400 people, the largest in Latin America, in addition to adding five athletes to the top of the ATP, including the last victorious gladiator in Australia, Rafa Nadal.

The first seven years the tournament was held on a dirt track and in a private club south of Mexico City.

The great ambassador was former number 1 Thomas Muster who took the tournament the first four years.

The move to Acapulco, one of the main tourist areas of Mexico, occurred in 2001 and with a view to reaching the ATP 500 tournament tag that he achieved seven years later.

Mexican businessmen promoted the tournament by taking it to the Mexican port where it meant relief for tennis players due to the height difference: in Mexico City it is played at 2,240 meters above sea level, added to pollution problems;

in Acapulco the altitude is only 30 meters.

One of his big bets was to turn to see an 18-year-old who radiated talent.

Rafa Nadal first competed in Mexico in 2005, before winning his first Roland Garros.

"I don't think there is a single tournament on the planet that doesn't want to have Rafa, especially after what he did in Australia, but he has been part of the history of the tournament, since 2005 when he was awarded a

wild card

when he had 18 years old,” said Raúl Zurutuza, director of the Mexican Open.

Today Nadal, at 35 years old, has 21 Grand Slams.

"I have felt the affection of the people, which for me is a beautiful feeling, I can only thank the Mexican people for the welcome they give me," said the Spaniard.

"I don't remember having so many top 10 finishes in the tournament, but also several top 20 and top 30 finishes. I think we are in a very special and important draw and I hope it will be repeated many more times," Zurutuza said about the players who will be this year.

In addition to the Majorcan, there will be the

number two

in the world, the Russian Daniil Medvedev, the German Alexander Zverev (three in the world and winner of Acapulco in 2021), the Greek Stefanos Tsisipas (four on the list) and the Italian Matteo Berrettini (sixth). .

The Spanish tennis promise, Carlos Alcaraz, resigned from the tournament at the last minute after winning in Rio de Janeiro.

The other Spanish participants are Pablo Andújar, Feliciano López, Pablo Carreño and Fernando Verdasco.

The prize is $314,455 and, of course, the 500 points in the ranking.

The German Alexander Zverev celebrates his triumph in Acapulco, in 2021. Eloisa Sanchez de Alba (Getty Images)

Throughout its history, Acapulco has attracted great tennis figures such as Muster, Kei Nishikori, Nick Kyrgios, Dominic Thiem and two-time champion Venus Williams.

For this year, however, there will be no women's tournament due to financial problems, as revealed by the organizers.

At the same time and more than 900 kilometers away, the Zapopan Open is held in Guadalajara, with Emma Raducanu as a great figure.

An open and controversial invitation was even made to Novak Djokovic to play in Acapulco regardless of whether he had been vaccinated or not.

The big tournaments, such as Roland Garros or the US Open, have closed their doors to tennis players who have not been immunized against covid.

The Serb, however, kept his desire to compete in Dubai.

Safety has been the eternal theme for the conduct of the tournament.

Acapulco is one of the areas that has been hit by drug violence.

A few days after the Open began, 80 premises in the port were set on fire due to the collection of the floor fee by organized crime, according to the authorities.

The Federation of Business Chambers in Guerrero estimated 800 businesses have been extorted at the start of the year.

Tickets for the Open were sold out.

There will be a 100% capacity allowed due to the decrease in covid cases and they will be asked for an antigen test with a validity of 48 hours, in addition to maintaining the use of the mask.

On the hard court, the Mexicans will surrender to Nadal and the elite of tennis.

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Source: elparis

All news articles on 2022-02-22

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