* For the third  time AMT has been acknowledge, by the players, as the best ATP 500 of the tour.

* It is also the second year that Acapulco is the best ATP 500 and WTA International, during the same season.

Ciudad de México.- Just a few days after receiving the recognition as the best WTA International tournament, thanks to the players vote, Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, also celebrated being chose as the best ATP 500 tournament of 2019.

The ATP players of the tour voted to pick their favorite tournament of the season, giving the recognition to AMT, for the third time in history after also winning during 2007 and 2017.

It is worth mentioning that this is the second time that the Tournament in Acapulco won both recognitions in the WTA and ATP tour categories, after 2017 when it was accomplished. It can be compared with Indian Wells, winning best ATP 1000 and Premier Mandatory for six occasions since 2014.

“It gives me great satisfaction and huge pride to be able to share this news with the press, the public and all those involved in the AMT organization”, stated Raul Zurutuza, CEO of AMT.

“To compete against 12 tournaments of great quality and prestige amongst the ATP 500 category, and being choose as the best tournament of the season,  is a recognition to all those involved in the organization that makes our tournament one of the most important sports event of our country”, assured.

Celebrated from February 25 ^th to March 2nd, AMT 2019 had the presence of great players such as Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev, John Isner, Stan Wawrinka, Cameron Norrie, Alex De Minaur and Nick Kyrgios, champion of this edition.  Also, this year was the last appearance of David Ferrer, four times winner of the “Guaje de Plata”.

“Since the first edition in 1993 we committed to give the all players the best treatment possible. Its been 26 years since then, and the treatment we give to the players has turned into one of the main reasons for the players to enjoy Acapulco that much”, explained Zurutuza.

“Details such as the fans reactions and support during the main matches and activities outside the courts, the farewell we organized to our friend David Ferrer, were some of the factors that helped us win the distinction of the best tournament. We will make all within our possibilities to repeat the accomplishment next year”, he added.

Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC Will be celebrated from February 24 ^th to 29^th in Princess Mundo Imperial hotel.

• Thanks to the players vote, Acapulco won for the twelve time the recognition as the best tournament of its category.
• The award Will be shared with Auckland’s tournament.
• the organization Will receive the recognition from WTA during the celebration of AMT 2020.

Ciudad de México.-  Once the tennis season is over, and prior to the star of the new one, the awards of the best tournaments of the year had been appointed, amongst them, Acapulco shines again.

Through the vote of the WTA players, Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, was appointed as the best tournament of the WTA International category.

After the 2019 tournament, that crowned champion the chinese Wang Yafan in the singles category, and the doubles champions Zheng Saisai and Victoria Azarenka, the 2019 Amt secured his place in history after winning the award of best WTA international for twelve times.

“This award is an amazing accomplishment, it recognizes the dedication, investment and welcome that the organization and the team offer to guaranty the special experience that our WTA players enjoy in Acapulco”, stated Steve Simon, president and CEO of WTA.

After winning the award seven time between 2001 and 2013. In 2014 the WTA changed the awards format, dividing the awards in regions, with this format AMT won as the best WTA international tournament of America during 3 years in a row (2014, 2015 y 2016). In 2017 after new changes, AMT won the 11^th award.

In this occasion, the new award will be shared for the first time with another tournament, the ASB Classic of Auckland.

“In the name of Mextenis, I’m really proud to announce that Abierto Mexicano has been chose as one of the best WTA tournaments in the world”, said Raul Zurutuza, CEO of the tournament. “The fact that it has been awarded 12 times in 19 editions, speaks loudly of the great work and dedication to every detail, that is something that the players appreciate along all these years”.

The next edition of Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, will represent the first 20 years of the female tournament. The WTA organization will reward with a special recognition to the organization of the tournament.

“The next year the WTA turns 20 years since the first appearance in Abierto Mexicano, and I’m sure that the fans will very much enjoy the celebration we are preparing to recognize the importance of female tennis in our tournament”, finished Zurutuza.

The 27th edition of AMT will have the participation of players such as Matteo Berrettini, Stan Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov and Alex De Minaur, also the return of Nick Kyrgios, defending champion.

The female draw is leaded by Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens, celebrating the 20 anniversary of the WTA in Acapulco. With an exceptional combination of Young and experienced players.

The AMT Will receive recognitions from both WTA and ATP for being the best tournament ATP500 and WTA international of 2019.

Ciudad de México. – The wait has come to an end, and after confirming the presence of Rafael Nadal, Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC has released the listo f players that will be part of this year’s edition of the tournament that Will be celebrated from febraury 24th to 29th in Acapulco.

In his fifth participation in AMT, Nadal, No. 1 in the world, obtained during 2019 the titles in Rome, Roland Garros, Montreal and US Open. He will seek the title in Acapulco for the third time.

As the second seeded of the tournament Alexander Zverev (No. 7), will be playing in Acapulco for the third time after getting to semifinals in 2018 and last year’s final. The 22-year-old, holds 11 titles, being the most recent the one obtained last year in Geneva.

Completing the top ten list of players, the Italian Matteo Berrettini (No. 8), had a successful 2019 season after obtaining the titles in Stuttgart and Budapest, he also reached semifinals in US Open.

After the first three players, it was confirmed the presence of the Australian Nick Kyrgios, defending champion and currently No. 26 in the ATP ranking.

We Will also see in Acapulco the South African Kevin Anderson, No. 14 and finalist of AMT in 2014 and2 018; the Suisse Stan Wawrinka, No. 15 and semifinalist of AMT in 2012; the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, No. 19 and champion 2014; the American John Isner, No. 20 and semifinalist in 2019; the French Lucas Pouille, No. 23 and semifinalist of Australian Open in 2019, also the young athletes Alex De Minaur (AUS, No. 21), Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN, No. 22), Taylor Fritz (USA, No. 32), Reilly Opelka (USA, No. 38) and Frances Tiafoe (USA, No. 49).

“This year’s males draw is a mix between experience, starting with Rafael Nadal, established players of the tour like Zverev, Kyrgios, Isner, Dimitrov and Wawrinka, and young talents like Berrettini, De Minaur, Felix Auger, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. With this names I’m convinced we will have a great spectacle”, affirmed Raul Zurutuza, CEO of the tournament.

To Complete the males draw we will have Dusan Lajovic (SRB, No. 27), Adrian Mannarino, (FRA, No. 43), John Millman (AUS, No. 47), Radu Albot (MOL, No. 48), Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB, No. 53), Ugo Humbert (FRA, No. 57), Feliciano López (ESP, No. 61), Pablo Andújar (ESP, No. 63) and Jordan Thompson (AUS, No. 65).

In the females draw, the list of players presented by AMT its leaded by the two Americans: Madison Keys (No. 11) and Sloane Stephens (No. 25).

It is Keys first appearance in the main draw after playing qualy in 2014, she holds 5 titles and a final at a Grand Slam (US Open 2017). Earlier this season she was finalist in Brisbane.

On her behalf, it is Stephens fourth participation in the tournament, after winning in 2016. Among her accomplishments she holds six titles, including 2017 US Open where she defeated Keys.

The chinese Yafan Wang, no. 51, confirmed her retur to defend her crown.

Completing the females draw we will see Magda Linette (No. 43), Rebecca Peterson (No. 44), Marie Bouzkova (No. 59), Fiona Fierro (No. 63), Tamara Zidansek (No. 69), Lin Zhu (No. 71), Danka Kovinic (No. 82), Tatjana Maria (No. 83), l Nina Stojanovic (No. 84), Katie Boulter (No. 85), Sara Sorribes Tormo (No. 88), Arantxa Rus (No. 88), Anastasia Potapova (No. 90), Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (No. 93), , Kateryna Bondarenko (No. 85), Kateryna Kozlova (No. 91), Lauren Davis (No. 65), Christina McHale (No. 81) and Shelby Rogers (No. 81).

“This year we will celebrate 20 years of the WTA participation in Acapulco and in this occasion, the draw reflects the current female tennis with young players such as Sloane, Madison and Heather, that hold important titles and recently doing big performances, and also we will see experienced players like Tatjana Maria, Kateryna Bondarenko and Christina Mchale”, pointed Zurutuza.

Besides the Draws of the singles tournaments, the AMT released the 2019 outcomes, that awarded the tournament as the best ATP 500 and WTA international “Each year the team behind the organization of the tournament sets a very clear goal: to give the best from the first day, and this is reflected in the good reviews given by the players the public and the press”, explained Zurutuza.

“During the next edition, ATP Tour and WTA will give us the respective recognitions to the best ATP 500 and WTA international, that we will share with everybody”, he ended.

At last, it was confirmed another edition of kid´s day , that will be celebrated February 23rd, and the costs of the qualys round that will be $50 (mxn) Saturday 22nd and $100 (mxn) Sunday 23rd.

Almost 11 years have passed since that legendary 2008 Wimbledon Final and many people still ask the same question: what did the infamous Uncle Toni tell his nephew Rafael before the start of the fifth set?

“Fight until the end and hold” Toni recalled. The word, “hold”, was key in order for Rafa to persevere in what is considered to be the greatest match of this century. According to Uncle Toni — everything came down to a simple concept: “Hold or give up”.

Toni Nadal never allowed that to be an easy decision for his nephew.  He expected more from Rafael than from any of his other students. Toni made Rafael pick up the balls and sweep the courts; more importantly, he never allowed him to lose sight of reality after achieving his greatest accomplishments. What the young Rafa did with his uncle’s lessons has continued to be constant throughout his entire career.

Nadal added that the most demanding word of the sport is: suffering. Playing tennis was never fun and although others would interpret it as a punishment, Rafa Nadal took it as a challenge that needed to be resolved.

When Rafa started playing professional tournaments at an early age, he had what he recalls as the “worst serve of all”. His difficulty to find a way to just put it in, was not worth bragging about. However, he had an extremely powerful drive with his left arm and more importantly, a strong desire to win. No matter who was on the other side of the net or if there were thousands of spectators crowded in the stadiums to watch the prodigy of Mallorca play, he played to win.

The dominance of “no matter who was on the other side” included the most powerful player at the time, Roger Federer. During the spring of 2004, Nadal made himself known to the world. The Spaniard, sporting a sleeveless shirt and fisherman shorts, surprised the Swiss by beating him 6-3 6-3 in the second round of the Miami Open.

Who was that 17-year-old boy who jumped up and pumped his fist every single time he won a point? Who was the boy who had just defeated the invincible Federer? His name was Rafael Nadal. Not only did he beat Federer, but he gave the first warning sign of what would happen in the following years in this particular rivalry: 23 wins for Nadal, 15 wins for Federer.

During the summer of 2005, Nadal defeated Federer in the semifinals of Roland Garros; two days later, on his 19th birthday, he won his first clay court title in Paris. Little did anyone know, the history of tennis had just been rewritten. This was the beginning of a long and successful relationship between a player and a tournament. 13 years after that first Musketeers Cup, Nadal holds 12 Roland Garros titles and an impressive 93-2 record in Paris; a record that is the highest number of any tennis player at a Grand Slam in the Open Era.

Although the Argentine Guillermo Vilas lead the records and the nickname, there was no doubt that Nadal would soon be known as the “King of Clay”. Not only for the amount of titles won on the surface, but for the physical aspect, the artistic form and the qualities that he had imposed on the ball.

Placing the ball right in the impossible corners of the court, approaching the net as never see before, improving his serve and getting to each ball with strength and confidence. Nadal reached 429 victories on the dirt and only 39 defeats; figures that are equivalent to 58 titles and a fantastic winning streak of 81 wins between 2005 and 2007. It must be noted that as incredible as it seems, clay was not his priority. He took advantage of his dominance to build his confidence on other surfaces.

Unlike the traditional Spanish, the main goal of the season for Nadal was always Wimbledon. He slowly expanded to conquer other surfaces…. And that he did. Twice at Wimbledon, three times at the US Open, and once in Australia.

Matching the record of Rod Laver, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer, in 2010, Nadal became just the fourth player to complete the career Grand Slam. Conclusively, he joined Agassi as the only player to have achieved the Golden Grand Slam (Australia, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open and Olympic Gold Medal). Let’s not forget to add 33 Masters 1000 titles and 196 weeks as No. 1 in the world.

These statistics could confirm that Rafael Nadal’s career has gone well to say the least. Despite suffering countless of serious injuries, Nadal has always found a way to return, resist, and most importantly, “endure”.

Yet, he has done much more than that. With a career that spans over 17 year and counting – having practically achieved everything, Nadal’s passion for the sport continues intact. He is a symbol of inspiration.

Like the superheroes of comic books who save the world and provide security to humanity, Rafael Nadal has defended, with a cape and a sword, the values that his Uncle Toni taught him: “Be humble”, “Always seek to improve”, “Help others”; with this, “You will achieve all that you want and if you try hard enough”.

Off the court and far away from the spotlight, Rafael Nadal, now 33, is still the young man who enjoys spending an afternoon at home with his family in Mallorca. He is also still the person who enjoys the simple things in life such as walking on the beach, playing video games, soccer games or going fishing with his friends.

Nadal maintains that he is grateful for all that tennis has given him, along with the platform he now has; he know that his image is big and admired so he does his best to help society through his Foundation, helps with charities, invites his colleagues to join good causes and encourages the sport through his Academy that helps train the new generations of Spanish tennis.

On October 13, 2018, one month after having played his last game of the season in the semifinals of the US Open, the best Spanish athlete of all time gave a new lesson of humility. Without informing anyone, he put on his boots and helped clean up Sant Llorenc, Mallorca, after heavy flooding affected the area. He felt no need to offer a statement or conduct an interview to say “Here I am, look at what I’m doing”. Once again, the whole world applauded this gesture.

Nadal is extraordinary, even in simplicity. During difficult times, he will rise above. When the day comes that Rafa Nadal will be listed in the history books, in addition to his extraordinary tennis skills, we must not forget to highlight his values. His values must be used an example for the following generations. It will have to be defined as what it is: a human who fought until the end to eventually became a true superhero.

The idea the American player Noah Rubin (No. 143) had is without a doubt, fantastic, innovative and, above all, original. He is not the most well known player on the circuit but at 22 years old, he has started a fascinating project. Its goal is to reduce the gap and strengthen the connection between the people behind the racquets and the fans. In short, to reach the public, Rubin wants to reveal the real and raw life of a professional tennis player. He has yet to reach these scenarios of the great figures of the ATP and WTA circuits… yet.

This is how the project “Behind the Racquet” on Instagram was born. Featured on the page are players who talk about their thoughts, insecurities and difficulties, while giving fans the opportunity to learn more about the human inside and not just about the professional tennis player.

The principle behind each post is quite simple: all players must pose in the exact same way holding their racquets with both hands in front of them so that their faces are perfectly centered behind the racket. Then, each player must write something significant that has influenced their training or affected their career as a tennis player.

“After returning from Australia, I was watching an Instagram documentary on Netflix called ‘Humans of New York’.  Somehow, he immediately clicked with me,” said Rubin, who was inspired by the documentary where foreigners are interviewed on the streets of New York. “Why not use the reach I have for something bigger, something better?”

It was then that the idea of ‘Behind the racquet’ was born. “I want to educate people about what tennis is and to tell stories of human interest and most importantly, to get viewers involved in the lives of players. People do not know what’s going on beyond the courts,” said Rubin, who finished 125th in the world rankings in 2018, his best position so far.

“By knowing the real tennis players and the different situations that we have in the day to day life of this race, and knowing what we think, I think there is a lot to learn from all these stories. People just need a platform, which I hope to give them. Fans do not understand what it means to be the 100 in the world for a tennis player; they think we’re just flying in a private jet and are staying at the Ritz Carlton all the time and we play in front of 15,000 people. The reality is that some of us, those who are planted between top 100-200, have had that opportunity maybe once or twice throughout our careers. Most of the time you play in clubs that have few line judges and no ball kids”.

Two players, Jamie Loeb (WTA No.176) and Marcos Giron (ATP No. 157) shared very personal stories in their messages. Loeb talked about the moment she knew that her mother, Susan, had a stroke while Giron said he found out his parents were getting divorced while he was in the hospital, about to have an MRI on his hip.

“It changed my perspective on everything,” Loeb said of her mother’s illness. “Winning and losing a tennis match does not mean anything in the big picture, it was difficult…. It changed everything for me, because I always wondered if it was selfish not to be home to help… It was something bigger than me, bigger than tennis.”

Rubin said that, although he is satisfied with the response to his initiative, he is even happier to hear the impact he has had on the players he has interviewed. “One of the best moments was when Ernesto Escobedo told me that he had received many messages of support,” says the American, who explains that most tennis interviews focus only on what happens on the court, statistics and the achievements, but never deal with what is important for someone who is out of the sport.

“Having Jamie Loeb come up to me and say that all these people support me a lot is what keeps me going, I want fans to understand what a tennis player is, there are so many different groups, so many things to love just by giving these people the opportunity to express themselves. There will always be support for that, I hope people start following these players now because they have listened to their story, know a little more about them and now feel as though they can identify with them as well. That’s what I want people to remember about “Behind the Racquet”.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Behind The Racquet (@behindtheracquet) el 23 de Ene de 2019 a las 4:42 PST

Acapulco, Gro., 2 de marzo.- Yafan Wang made history at Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, by becoming the first Chinese player to lift the tournament title, which is the first in her career as a professional.

Wang (65-WTA) made her debut in Acapulco and defeated the American Sofia Kenin (35-WTA), fifth seed, by 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a match that lasted two hours and 10 minutes.
The Asian rounded out the perfect night for China, since minutes before, her compatriot Saisai Zheng was proclaimed champion in the doubles tournament, next to Victoria Azarenka.

“It’s my first time in Acapulco and I really liked it, it was a great week; this tournament is incredible and everything is very well organized, “said Wang, who also played three sets (against Donna Vekic) in the first round, in the first round and the quarterfinals she won in straight sets and in the second round she advanced because of Mónica Puig’s retirement.

“In the first set I had a lot of mistakes, then I just tried to put the ball in play and that worked. She plays well, it was a tough match, I tried to get my best game”.

Kenin kept the first set and had a 2-0 lead in the second set, but the Chinese showed reaction capacity and managed to level the score.

In the decisive set, Wang broke in the third game, although Kenin recovered it in the sixth game.

Yafan was again in advantage in the eleventh game and with double match point, closed the match with a crossed shot that had no response.

Kenin was looking for her second title of the season, after being crowned in Hobart. On the way to the final she played two rounds against opponents who retired and two matches to three sets.

Acapulco, Guerrero, 2 de marzo.- Nick Kyrgios is the new champion of Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, after defeating in the final Alexander Zverev, winning his fifth ATP title.

Despite not being liked by the public, the 23 year-old Australian player, completed a dream week, winning the match in two sets 6-3, 6-4, over Zverev who didn’t lost a set during the tournament.

The final match started with Kyrgios dominating the exchanges. Zverev controlled the timing in his previous matches this week, but this time he had to work harder to keep himself in rallies. A forehand error from the German down break point gave Kyrgios a 3-1 lead in the opening set.

The most noticeable and effective play of the match was Kyrgios’ repeated use of drop shots. Once he pushed Zverev behind the baseline, Kyrgios threw in a perfectly disguised dropper to the awe of the crowd. The tactic helped Nick erase a break point at 4-2 and, two games later, he cracked a forehand winner on his first set point to grab the early advantage.

During the second set Sascha went up 40/0 in the next game, but yet another drop shot winner helped Kyrgios bring it to deuce. Kyrgios raised his level further and ripped two clean winners to grab the break and a 3-2 lead.

Kyrgios ended the match with 13 aces, and he had a 77% of effectiveness with his first serve.
The players have faced each other in seven ocassions, the record is now 4-3, in Nick’s favor, in the head2 head series

Acapulco marked the first time that the Aussie defeated two Top 3 players in the same tournament and the first time he defeated three Top 10 players in one week. Kyrgios will cut his ATP Ranking by more than half with his title run and is projected to move just outside the Top 30 on Monday.

367,000 dlls and 500 ATP points is the prize Nick Kyrgios took tonight.

Acapulco, Guerrero, 2 de marzo.- Victoria Azarenka and her doubles partner Saisai Zheng, are the new doubles champions of Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, after defeating Giuliana Olmos and Desirae Krawczyk.

Azarenka and Zheng played a perfect match, taking advantage of their rivals nerves that lost their serve in the first game. Giuliana lost her serve twice, and they lost the first set.
The second set was similar, Azarenka’s first serve was very effective, in this set the Mexican- American lost their service in four occasions.

The final score was 6-1, 6-2 and the match lasted 55 minutes.
The duo of Giuliana Olmos and Desirae Krawczyk suffered its second consecutive loss in a WTA tournament in Mexico, they also lost last year in Monterrey.

“I wanted to win here, it’s my favorite tournament, but that’s the way things are, although we lost today, we played well every day, there’s a lot to learn; however, it should be noted that in doubles I felt incredible all week and I gained a lot of experience in this tournament, “said the Mexican player, who will now return to Los Angeles to prepare for upcoming tournaments.