ATP Acapulco tournament set to return after rebuilding effort following October's Hurricane Otis

A furious four-month rebuilding effort of the Arena GNP Seguros in the aftermath of October's Hurricane Otis has helped restore the tournament venue ahead of this week's Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

In December, organizers Mextennis vowed that the ATP 500 event, held in Acapulco since 2001, would go on and scheduled in 2024 following the devestating Category 5 storm that made landfall west of the city on Oct. 22 and ravaged the area for three days. More than 50 people were killed by the storm, and it left more than 30 others missing while causing an estimated $10 billion USD worth of damage.

Chief among the reasons Mextennis elected to commit to holding the event in 2024 is the economic boon it provides for the local community. Geoffrey Fernández, the tournament's director of operations, told the news outlet Caras México this week that the event generates more than 11,000 jobs.

The Mexican newspaper *Milenio* reported that more than 200 million pesos were spent to restore the venue, and 35 companies were involved in the effort.

"We work with the community, with our thousands of collaborators and families united by the same cause: moving Acapulco forward," he said. "We have achieved a lot together and together with the federal, state and municipal governments to make this event one of the best.

"It is a very peculiar, emotional year and in which those who visit the event will be part of something special. In 2024 we seek to be in solidarity with the port, so the event takes a backseat. I think the most important thing is to support the destination in these important moments, and all the players, media and sponsors have joined this cause."

Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune are the event's No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, with defending champion Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe rounding out the Top 8. Fernandez called the response from the players "wonderful" and credited their support for helping make the event happen.

Qualifying for the tournament begins on Saturday, and main-draw play will run from Feb. 26 through March 2.