The Mexican Open will commence on Monday next week, but the ATP stars competing at the tournament have been advised not to leave the tournament's premises.
In an internal email sent to the players and ATP staff in Acapulco, which has been seen by Inews UK, they were "strongly recommended" that they trap their movements only within the tournament, its facilities, and their hotel.
Additionally, players and their support teams were cautioned against using vehicles not designated for the tournament for their transportation. Acapulco is the largest city in the state of Guerrero, which has long been marred by insecurity issues.
Acapulco is still reeling from the after-effects of Hurricane Otis (a Category 5 hurricane considered the strongest hurricane to form on the planet) that hit the city and left it in ruins last October. At least 27 people died, according to government records.
The damage reached billions of dollars, and there are still vast pieces of debris that remain uncollected to date. The disaster has only increased theft and organized crime.
Tournament organizers are concerned about "significant infrastructure issues" despite being given the all-clear by the ATP to host the tournament this year.
"It is not uncommon for players to receive security advisories from ATP as a precautionary measure across more than 250 Tour and Challenger Tour events each season."
"The advisory sent for Acapulco factors in the additional complexity of Hurricane Otis’ disruption. There have been major efforts and investments to restore the Acapulco venue in recent months."
Main draw action at the Mexican Open begins on Monday, February 26th, with top-ranked players like Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Minaur confirming their participation.
Former champion Grigor Dimitrov withdrew ahead of schedule for an undisclosed reason. Players will compete for 500 ranking points and a share of prize money to the tune of $2,206,080.
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