After Hurricane Otis’ devastation, Acapulco tournament vows to go on as scheduled in 2024

As the Mexican resort town of Acapulco rebuilds in the wake of Hurricane Otis’ catastrophic damage, tournament organizers at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC have announced that the ATP tournament will go on as scheduled in 2024.

One of Mexico’s most important international sporting events, the Abierto Mexicano wasn’t spared from the devastating effects of the Category 5 storm. Otis rapidly intensified before it made landfall in late October, killing at least 48 people and destroying homes, hotels and businesses—including the tournament’s newly built GNP Seguros Arena, which was inaugurated in 2022.

On Thursday, organizers Mextennis announced “with great enthusiasm and optimism” that the ATP 500 event will indeed be held from Feb. 24 to March 2. And, more importantly, that it will take place at its home in Acapulco, set to be hosted amid the city’s ongoing reconstruction efforts.

"This event marks a significant milestone in the reconstruction and revitalization of our iconic city,” the organizers stated. “By hosting the tournament in Acapulco, we not only promote tennis but also generate a positive impact on the local economy and community by providing vitality to sectors such as tourism, transportation, gastronomy and hospitality, including job creation in the region.

“With this celebration, we reaffirm to the world that Acapulco is open for business and back on its feet."

Their statement echoes the words of Mexico’s president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), who previously singled out the tournament’s staging as not just a financial boon for a state dependant on Acapulco’s famous tourism industry, but also a morale booster for the recovering region as a whole.

“There is going to be an international tennis tournament in Acapulco this February,” AMLO declared in a November press conference. “We don’t want the public to reject this event because of the idea that it is an 'elitist' event, and that residents need to be attended to before hosting an international tennis event.

“I appeal to the people… By then, the majority of Acapulco residents will already have their homes repaired, they will already have their belongings, they will already be returning to normal.

“We care a lot about these events because we need to put Acapulco back on its feet and say: ‘Acapulco is open for business, the hotels are already back.’ And the people of Acapulco will be there too."

As a part of the effort, AMLO also announced an agreement with hoteliers to have more than 3,000 rooms ready to welcome tourists by March and April of next year—including 700 at the Princess Mundo Imperial, home of the Abierto Mexicano, ready by February.

The 2023 edition of the Acapulco event saw Alex de Minaur lift the seventh and biggest title of his career with a victory over Tommy Paul in the final. The tournament also broke attendance records, with a reported 90,000 people in attendance during eight days of play.

Organizers have already announced the participation of Top 10 players Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune and Taylor Fritz in 2024, while finalist Paul is set to join Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe, Lorenzo Musetti, Grigor Dimitrov and Ben Shelton in Acapulco, with more players to be announced in the upcoming months.