Mexican Open tennis venue ravaged by Hurricane John and left badly flooded

The Mexican Open tennis venue in Acapulco has been ravaged by Hurricane John, which swept through Mexico last week. The Arena GNP Seguros, which has hosted the ATP 500 tennis tournament for the last three years, has been flooded after the tropical cyclone caused destruction across southern Mexico.

Alex de Minaur has won back-to-back titles at the Mexican Open after defeating Tommy Paul in the 2023 final and Casper Ruud in this year's showpiece match.

Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, won the first edition of the tournament following its switch from the Hotel Princess Mundo Imperial after getting the better of British star Cam Norrie in the final.

Hurricane John originated from a low-pressure area off the coast of southern Mexico a week ago and hit its peak intensity on Tuesday before dissipating three days later. And videos on social media have revealed just how much damage it has caused.

Instagram accounts AcapulcoSky and David_Vipper both show the effects of the hurricane at the Arena GNP Seguros.

And other areas of the country have also been significantly impacted, with Mexico's military and National Guard being deployed to help with the rescue and recovery efforts.

The 2024 edition of the Acapulco event was almost cancelled after another hurricane hit the city at the end of last year as 52 people reportedly died. And during that tournament, a huge fire also broke out close to the venue.

Following his title triumph this year, De Minaur said: "Acapulco is becoming like a second home. I thought that it was impossible to get feel better after what happened last year, but I came back a year later to defend the title and it has been true pleasure.

"We wanted to bring some joy to this wonderful city. And I'm sure that Acapulco will shine stronger than ever."

De Minaur became the first man since David Ferrer to win back-to-back crowns in Acapulco, with the Spaniard lifting the trophy for three consecutive years between 2010 and 2012. Nicolas Almagro defended his 2008 title the following year, with Thomas Muster winning four consecutive editions of the event between 1993 and 1996.

After Nadal tasted glory two-and-a-half years ago, he exclaimed: "It always has been a very special place. The energy that the people from Mexico bring to me is very unique. I'm very pleased. It was a very important title for me, so I can't be happier."

It is unknown at this stage whether the tournament will be able to go ahead at the same location in 2025, with event organisers likely assessing the extent of the damage in due course.