Tennis chiefs are facing calls to rescue players from Mexico after violence erupted in the country following the death of a notorious drug lord.
Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, who was Mexico’s most wanted man and the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) cartel, was killed during a security operation to arrest him, according to the country’s defense ministry.
The CJNG plays a key role in trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl to the US and cartel members responded by setting cars on fire, building roadblocks and clashing with security forces in eight states.
Chaos has engulfed Mexico in the week both the ATP and WTA are hosting tournaments in the country.
A number of top players – including world No 4 Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur, America’s Frances Tiafoe and Britain’s Cameron Norrie – are slated to play the ATP 500 event in Acapulco.
America’s Emma Navarro and Ann Li, meanwhile, are among the top seeds at the WTA’s Merida Open and tennis announcer Brett Haber has urged both tours to pull players out of the country.
Violence broke out in Mexico after drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes was killed
Emma Navarro and Frances Tiafoe are both slated to play in Mexico this week, with both the WTA and ATP hosting events in the country
Chaos has engulfed Mexico in the week the ATP and WTA are hosting tournaments there
‘Just left Mexico. Police activity at the airport was insane,’ he wrote on X. ‘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.’
Ellison is the billionaire owner of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which is due to host one of the year’s biggest tournaments – outside the four majors – next month.
The Daily Mail has contacted both the WTA and ATP for comment.
‘El Mencho’ died on Sunday after being injured in a military operation by Mexican special forces in the town of Tapalpa – 450 miles up the coast from Acapulco. Merida is on the opposite side of Mexico in the state of Yucatan.
The US State Department has issued a shelter-in-place warning to US citizens in the states of Jalisco and Tamaulipas, as well as some areas in Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon.
The Canadian government, meanwhile, has urged people to ‘avoid non-essential travel’ to dozens of areas in Mexico ‘due to high levels of violence and organized crime.’