The voices of the protagonists of AMT 2023

26 February, 2023 | News

Some of the most outstanding players of the XXX edition of the AMT revealed their thoughts & feelings about the start of the tournament.

Acapulco, February 26th – Hours away from the start of the main draw at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presented by HSBC, some of the tournament’s top seeds revealed their thoughts & feelings for this season, as well as their excitement for being part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the ATP 500 in Acapulco.

Italian, Matteo Berrettini, who is on his second participation in the AMT confessed: “I’m looking forward to playing, to start the tournament. Last year I didn’t finish the tournament as I wanted so I’m very happy to be here another year, and I´m also playing doubles with my brother so it’s a special tournament for me.”

“I hope it can be a season without injuries and with many tournaments and success. Last year at the end, I played well but I didn’t play enough, that was a bit of a problem, and when you make a lot of standby´s and re-start during a season or career, it’s a bit difficult to regain momentum, specially with a very long season. This year I hope it´ll be much healthier. At the end, tennis is a sport that´s not easy, but we expect big results” added the current No. 24 in the ranking.

On the other hand, the American (US) semifinalist of the 2022 US Open, Frances Tiafoe, reveals that he feels more confident than ever to have a great participation in Mexico. “I think I’m coming to Acapulco with my best level yet. I’m super excited to play, to be here and try to make the long run.” regarding this season he adds “It’s going to be a good one, things are going to be remembered for, It’s started off great so far, but now I’m ready for bigger stages”. “Congrats, for this 30-year anniversary! I’m a huge fan of this event and you guys are great, go for another 30 year run!” he concluded for the tournament.

His compatriot Taylor Fritz also assured to feel great and confident. He shared his goals for this year: “This season my goals are to be in the Top 5, and also reach a Grand Slam final. I think I follow the ranking a lot, cause every time you go up, it always feels good, hopefully I have good results this year,” said the current World No. 7.

“I want to congratulate the tournament for these first 30 years, one of my favorite spots to come to and hope I can come back for many years” he promised, while deciding to share a small piece of his secret that is to work beyond the physical aspect of the game “For me, mental health depends on having time to enjoy off the court. At times, I just need to lay in bed, relax, play video games, it’s a big part of just having that time off after practice and work.”

Another of the outstanding tennis players present in Acapulco is the Norwegian, winner of nine ATP titles, Casper Ruud, who had to arrive a few days earlier to adapt to the overall conditions “I feel great, we arrived on Friday and I had a couple of good practices. The stadium looks great, it’s my first time with the new venue. I was here in 2021 and had a great time. Unfortunately I had a wrist injury, making me pull out of the game in the quarterfinals, so hopefully my wrist will be okay this week. The weather is always great, it’s kind of hot and that’s why we play at night. We have the ocean nearby, great food and fans. It’s 30 years!, it allows you to appreciate that the tournament is a huge success and hopefully it continues for another 30+ years.”

Regarding this season he added “Maybe I didn’t have the best start in Australia, but it’s going to be a long year, there are still a lot of tournaments to come. I’m coming out of a mini-season with a lot of physical work done and hopefully it will help me play well. I hope it´ll be a great year for me, I have a lot of things to defend, and will try to give my best every week.”

Finally, the 19-year-old Danish youngster, Holger Rune, is visiting the tournament for the very first time and says he´s surprised by the stadium: “I walked around here, the beach, been to different courts and it’s very nice, great conditions, I like it, it’s very warm and comfortable to play at night. I’m excited to start”. Regarding his goals as a new Top 10 ranking he confessed “My big dream is to win a Grand Slam, but between being No. 1 and winning a Grand Slam, I prefer the latter…Happy tournament Acapulco!, I wish you all the best in the future” he concluded.