Could US tennis players skip the WTA Merida Open or ATP Acapulco Open because of Mexican unrest
US tennis players are traveling to or already in Mexico because the WTA and ATP tennis tours are playing tournaments in the country beginning on February 23. The WTA Merida Open is in Merida, Mexico, and the ATP Acapulco Open is in Acapulco, Mexico.
On February 22, the State Department issued warnings for US citizens to shelter in place in certain parts of Mexico due to unrest following the death of cartel kingpin Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes.
Areas of concern include but are not limited to the Jalisco State (including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, and Guadalajara).
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Will this affect US tennis players at the Merida Open or Acapulco Open?
Merida, Mexico is over 700 miles away from Guadalajara.
Acapulco, Mexico is approximately 890 miles from Guadalajara.
Americans Sloane Stephens and Merida Open defending champion Emma Navarro are among those slated to play in Merida.
Jan 23, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Frances Tiafoe of United States in action against Alex de Minaur of Australia in the third round of the menís singles at the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
American men scheduled to play in Acapulco include Frances Tiafoe, Sebastian Korda, who is in Delray Beach playing the final of the Delray Beach Open against Tommy Paul on Sunday afternoon, and Brandon Nakashima are among those scheduled to play.
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We don’t know what will happen
Presumably everyone except for Sebastian Korda has already traveled to Mexico and is preparing to play. Will they reconsider playing given the circumstances? Will Sebastian Korda make the trip because of his long Delray run and this Mexican unrest?
We do not know for sure.
The Mexican unrest may be far enough away from the tournament locations not to be overly concerning, but most likely members of the players’ teams are monitoring the situation.
It is not clear if the WTA or ATP has any emergency procedures in place to assist affected US tennis players.
On a day where the US is enjoying the amazing win of the Team USA’s gold medal victory over Canada in ice hockey, this situation offers a sobering contrast.
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