Tennis power couple Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur are among the stars to have been caught up in the chaos that has engulfed Mexico over recent days.
The pair, who got engaged in December 2024, are due to play in the respective ATP and WTA tournaments in the country, where violence has erupted 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 defence 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.
Boulter is scheduled to play Beatriz Haddad Maia on Tuesday to kick off her tournament in Merida, while de Minaur is due to take on Patrick Kypson on the same day in Acapulco.
A number of other top players, including Alexander Zverev, Cameron Norrie, Emma Navarro and Ann Li are also involved in the two tournaments.
Tennis power couple Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur are set to compete in Mexico this week
Violence broke out in Mexico after notorious drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes was killed
Cartel members responded to Cervantes’ death by setting cars on fire, building roadblocks and clashing with security forces in eight states
In light of the chaos, tennis announcer Brett Haber urged both the WTA and ATP to pull players out of the country.
‘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.
However, despite the chaos, Boulter and de Minaur appeared unaffected when looking at social media on Monday morning.
De Minaur shared an Instagram post with the caption ‘Sassy Sunday in Acapulco’, sharing photos of him in training and playing a round of golf.
Meanwhile, Boulter also posted a training shot and looked to be conducting commercial duties on a golf course in another photo.
The Daily Mail has previously contacted both the WTA and ATP for comment.
De Minaur posted several photos on Instagram on Sunday, including one of him playing golf
Boulter also appeared to be busy and safe despite the chaos unfolding elsewhere in Mexico
‘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.’
Elsewhere, the UK Foreign Office has advised against travelling within the country, while several flights to both the popular Pacific resort of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara were diverted and cancelled.
Guadalajara is one of the host cities for this summer’s World Cup, with the recent chaos raising questions about security at the tournament, which kicks off in 108 days.