Tennis Commentator Urges WTA and ATP to Take Immediate Action After Killing of Mexican Drug Lord

Tomas Machac and Emma Navarro are the defending champions in Acapulco and Merida, respectively.

Tennis Commentator Urges WTA and ATP to Take Immediate Action After Killing of Mexican Drug Lord

Acapulco is an ATP 500 tournament (Image via X/We Are Tennis)

In Short
  • WTA and ATP events are currently taking place in Mexico amid a security crisis following the killing of drug lord El Mencho.
  • Tennis commentator Brett Haber has urged the WTA and ATP to relocate players to Indian Wells for safety.
  • Violence from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel has led to the deaths of National Guard troops and the suspension of classes in Mexico.

Both WTA 500 and ATP 500 events are underway in two Mexican cities. The WTA players are in Merida, while those of the ATP are in Acapulco.

Mexico, however, is going through a crisis after the killing of the country’s most notorious drug lord, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho. He was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC) in Jalisco on Sunday (February 22).

Mencho got injured during the operation by the Mexican forces and eventually died. In the aftermath of the incident, the JNGC’s men did not waste much time in creating havoc across the country. They have been torching the vehicles and have blocked the highways in several states. Mexico’s Security Secretary revealed that 25 National Guard troops had been killed. Schools and universities have also suspended classes.

Amidst the unrest, tennis commentator Brett Haber has requested the WTA and the ATP to take immediate action. The Tennis Channel commentator suggested shifting the players to Indian Wells, where, next month, the season’s first combined WTA 1000 and ATP Masters 1000 will be held. The main draw of the Indian Wells is scheduled to start on March 4.

Just left Mexico. Police activity at the airport was insane. Polite suggestion to the @atptour & @WTA — and to Larry Ellison: get one plane to Acapulco and one to Merida and get everybody out of there — and put them up for an extra week at Indian Wells to train and be safe. This is not a drill.

Brett Haber wrote on X

Check out the post here:

The Acapulco event started on February 23, and the final is set to be held on February 28. The Merida Open kicked off on February 23 and will be wrapped up on March 1.

Who are playing at the Acapulco Open and the Merida Open?

Tomas Machac is the defending champion, but he chose not to play and instead signed up for the Dubai Tennis Championships, but was forced to withdraw due to an injury.

Alex de Minaur, Alexander Zverev, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Casper Ruud
Alex de Minaur, Alexander Zverev, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Casper Ruud (Image via X/Lab Experiment, Game, Set & Talk, Tiempo De Tenis, Swish Tennis)

Alexander Zverev is the first seed in the Acapulco event. He is chasing his first title since winning the 2025 Munich Open. Zverev went past Corentin Moutet to schedule a second-round clash with Miomir Kecmanovic.

Second seed Alex de Minaur and third seed Casper Ruud lost in the first round. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, after defeating Daniel Altmaier, scheduled his second-round match against Mattia Bellucci. The Spaniard is chasing the first title of his career.

Fifth seed Flavio Cobolli will face Dalibor Svrcina, while reigning Shanghai Masters champion Valentin Vacherot has set up his second-round clash with Gael Monfils. Eighth seed Frances Tiafoe knocked out Nuno Borges to schedule his second-round clash with Aleksandar Kovacevic.

In Merida, Emma Navarro will play as the defending champion. In her first-round match, she will be up against Zhang Shuai. The first seed in the tournament is two-time Grand Slam singles finalist Jasmine Paolini, who will be up against Priscilla Hon in her opening round.

Fifth seed Dayana Yastremska and sixth seed Janice Tjen have crashed out. Third seed Ann Li is scheduled to face Zeynep Sonmez in her opening round. The other seeded players in the draw are Marie Bouzkova (fourth), Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (seventh), and Magda Linette (eighth).

The top two players from both the ATP and the WTA have skipped these events and will be seen in action at Indian Wells. Carlos Alcaraz won both the Australian Open and the Qatar Open and will chase his third Indian Wells title. Aryna Sabalenka failed to win his third title at the Melbourne Slam.

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