Background and Current Status
As the Abierto de Tenis de Los Cabos (ATC) prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary, it stands as the second longest-running tournament organized by Mextenis, with the Abierto Mexicano (AMT) leading the way at 32 editions currently held in Acapulco. The ATC is categorized as a 250 event on the ATP Tour, while Acapulco is classified as a 500 event, indicating greater annual investment for the Guerrero-based tournament.
Leadership Vision
José Antonio Fernández, the director of ATC and operations for Mextenis, emphasizes that the leadership shares a long-term vision to replicate Acapulco’s positioning in Los Cabos, attracting media, players, sponsors, and fans.
Consolidating Figures
Since its inception in 2016, the ATC has been held between Wimbledon and the US Open, except for 2020 due to COVID-19 and 2024 when it was moved to February to align with the AMT. Fernández highlights the tournament’s growth, noting attendance increased from 12,300 in 2016 to nearly 35,000 in the previous year.
- Economic impact: From 60 million pesos in the first edition to 129.7 million pesos in 2024, with an expectation of surpassing 150 million pesos in 2025.
- Sponsor growth: From eight sponsors in 2016 to 33 currently.
- Player quality: Advancing from no top-10 players in 2016 to hosting four, including Fabio Fognini, Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov, Juan Martín Del Potro, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev.
Category Increase
The ATC has maintained a 250 category throughout its nine editions, the lowest in the ATP Tour without including Challengers. The AMT is a 500 category, positioned just below Masters, creating a significant economic difference for Mextenis.
The AMT requires at least $3 million, primarily for its prize money of $2.76 million. Meanwhile, the ATC involves approximately $1 million, with a prize money pool of $920,480 this year. Additional operational costs are also involved.
Fernández clarifies that raising the ATC’s category is not a priority for Mextenis, stating, “Why aim to be a 500 when you can achieve similar results with a 250, which costs less?” However, he does not rule out the possibility of increasing the category in 2028 when ATP plans modifications.
Franchise Sale
Fernández dismisses any immediate plans to sell the ATP 250 Los Cabos franchise, stating that Mextenis is currently focused on growing its portfolio of four tournaments: Acapulco and Los Cabos in the ATP Tour, the Morelia Challenger 125, and the Cancun WTA 125. He adds that there are no plans to sell any of these tournaments in the near future.
With a solid foundation established in Acapulco, Los Cabos is now beginning to gain similar prominence within Mextenis’s product range. Fernández concludes, “The event is very well-established and growing at a tremendous rate. Our intention remains, and will continue to be, maintaining this momentum.”
