• Stefanos Tsitsipas, Tommy Paul, Cameron Norrie and Rodrigo Pacheco opened up about their careers and personal lives at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo Tennis Talks.

Los Cabos, July 31, 2023 – A new edition of Tennis Talks took place this Monday as the main draw of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo gets underway. In-depth talks with the protagonists of the seventh edition left lessons about their life, sport and professionalism to all those present.

World No. 13, Cameron Norrie, opened the curtain to tell the story of how he decided to move country to pursue his dream and also the importance of going to college.

“I played rugby at school, but I decided to commit to tennis, give it the opportunity, all my energy and it was a big gamble for me, moving from New Zealand to be full on with tennis… I wasn’t being very professional in London, I needed to mature, so it definitely shaped me, I think that was probably the reason I got into university, I wanted to have a normal lifestyle, go to classes,” shared the British representative.

“I always recommend doing the degree, you have to be fully committed to going tournament after tournament. At 18 or 19 you sacrifice a lot, all your friends are having fun, you feel like you’re going to miss that, but if you’re good enough you have to do it… The big difference is that you have less pressure in college, you have time to develop physically and you have fun” concluded the 2021 Los Cabos Tennis Open champion.

Then it was the turn of Mexican junior Rodrigo Pacheco, who shared his experience at Roland Garros junior, where he won the doubles championship this 2023. “I forget that I’m at the top of the junior ranking. Sometimes I think I’m just one more in the tournament, but then I realize that I can reach the title and I fight for it.”

Tommy Paul, current ATP No. 14, was asked about whether he feels pressure to carry the U.S. flag since there is no U.S. player who is close to being the No. 1 in tennis.

“Of course there is pressure in American tennis but we are in a good moment and a lot of people are excited. I enjoy playing for my country, the pressure from the fans is enjoyable. The pressure from the press I think is something the players create, I don’t feel it. Any athlete in any sport can feel it, but we do this from such a young age that we were trained for it,” he said.

The audience was also able to ask questions to the stars, including several children who play tennis. Stefanos Tsitsipas, who closed the Tennis Talks, revealed the reason why he decided to pursue a professional career in the sport.

“My main goal was to provide for my family. It was the first thing that came to my mind, to give them a better life. Of course Grand Slams and No. 1 are clichés that of course any player wants, but my vision is to make a life out of tennis. I am privileged to have to work hard, there are many people in the world, children suffering without food, without a roof over their heads. There is no better feeling when you go to sleep than knowing you worked hard. I owe my life to tennis, I’ve made a name for myself because of it,” shared the Greek No. 5 in the world, who also assured that his relationship with tennis player Paula Badosa is the best thing that has happened to him and that he has already become a fan of singer Bad Bunny.

• Mexican junior Luis Carlos Álvarez lost to Chilean Gonzalo Lama.

Los Cabos, July 30, 2023.- Mexican Luis Carlos Álvarez was one step away from the surprise of the day at the closing of the qualifying tournament of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo that distributed four tickets to play in the main draw of the tournament.

The youngster lost in three sets by 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 against the Chilean Gonzalo Lama, who with his victory extended to five the number of Chilean representatives that will play in the main draw of the ATP 250 in Los Cabos.

It was a tough test for the Chilean and the Mexican, who played a match that lasted 3.05 hours.

In addition to Lama, his compatriots Nicolás Jarry, Cristian Garín, Tomás Barrios Vera and Alejandro Tabilo will be competing.

Earlier, Tunisian Skander Mansouri beat Abdullah Shelbayh of Jordan 7-6, 6-3. The other two tickets for the main draw were in the hands of Omni Kumar, from the United States, who beat Jason Jung (TPE) and Kazakhstan’s Beibit Zhukayev, who defeated Keegan Smith, from the United States, 6-3, 6-1.

FIRST DAY

Monday’s first day will feature five singles matches and one doubles match.

The couples’ duel stands out for the participation of the Mexican pair integrated by Ernesto Escobedo and Rodrigo Pacheco, who will face the Venezuelan Luis David Martinez Myneni, from India.

Meanwhile, in singles, the veteran American John Isner will play against the Australian Rinky Hijikata and in a duel between Latin Americans, the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo will face the Brazilian Felipe Meligeni.

FIRST DAY, SINGLES

Gabriel Diallo (CAN) – Gijs Brouwer (NED)

Rinky Hijikata (AUS) – John Isner (USA)

Alejandro Tabilo (CHI) – Felipe Meligeni (BRA)

Qualifier – Thiago Agustin Tirante (ARG)

Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA) – Qualifier

RESULTS SUNDAY, QUALY

S. Mansouri (TUN) defeats A. Shelbayh (JOR) by 7-6, 6-3

G. Lama (CHI) defeats L. Alvarez (MEX) by 7-5, 5-7, 6-4

O. Kumar (USA) defeats J. Jung (TPE) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6

B. Zhukayev (KAZ) defeats K. Smith (USA) 6-3, 6-1

• The stars of the seventh edition of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo shared their first impressions of the tournament

Los Cabos, July 30, 2023.- As is customary, the star players of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo shared their first impressions of the destination of Los Cabos and the ATP 250 tournament this 2023. The top seed of the seventh edition Stefanos Tsitsipas, 2021 champion and 2022 finalist Cameron Norrie, American Tommy Paul, Mexican Rodrigo Pacheco and Chilean Nicolas Jarry were some of the tennis players who passed in front of cameras and microphones of local media.

“As for the destination and the great hospitality that Mexico has shown me in these years I am happy, it feels very warm now and I am comfortable when I come to Mexico and I have the opportunity to do my best and it will always be a yes to come,” assured the Greek.

“I have already mentioned that I like to play in the heat and in extreme conditions, I think I adapt relatively well, I have no problem, it is humid but we have a good escape with the sea nearby between games or before practice. I enjoy it because it’s a similar environment to my home. When I first arrived it reminded me a bit of Greece but with less mountains, but being in the sea most of the day makes you feel rejuvenated before the action,” added the world No. 5.

“Very few places can compare to Mexico, because of its hospitality it is the most important thing for people who are not from here. I couldn’t go to Acapulco because I was injured but I followed it and hope to return” he promised.

On the other hand, the British ATP No. 13, Cameron Norrie, says he feels at home in Los Cabos.

“I feel great, the conditions always suit me. It’s a relaxing place, you can go to the beach before the matches. It feels good to be back and they are my two favorite tournaments every year, I didn’t get to play in Acapulco but I’m excited to be in Mexico, show people how I play, it’s special for me to have won my first tournament here,” said Norrie, who won the title in 2021.

Third seed Tommy Paul, who debuts in the Mifel Tennis Open bye Telcel Oppo, said he took a vacation here a few years ago and loved the place.

“I love playing all the tournaments in Mexico, it wasn’t a difficult decision. My team and I knew that this tournament suits my game. I love playing on hard court, even though it’s been a while, I hope to find my game, one match at a time,” he said.

Also Mexican Rodrigo Pacheco shared the keys to his growth in the last year, after debuting in an ATP tournament main draw in Los Cabos in 2022.

“I think I am a much more explosive player, of strokes, more speed, my serve is also something that I have improved a lot. In the important moments I have improved in knowing how to calm down more,” said the Mexican.

Pacheco will face another Latin American representative in the first round, the Chilean Nicolas Jarry, who regarding his debut in Los Cabos said he was “very happy to be here, I’ve been acclimatized for several days. I know Rodrigo a little bit, I know he is young and is playing very well, left-handed, it will surely be an exciting match, cheering him on, but I hope to play my tennis. The desert landscape with the sea is very special, the club is very cozy and the courts are in great condition. Big stadium and I’m looking forward to playing” concluded the No. 29 of the ATP ranking.

• Hundreds of children enjoy tennis with players participating in the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo

Los Cabos, July 29, 2023.- The glow of neon colors on shirts, balls and rackets, under a stage with black and ultraviolet light, put a huge dose of fun to the Kids Nite, one of the activities of the opening day of the MIfel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo 2023.

Some 100 children between the ages of 3 and 12 were divided into 4 groups and participated and enjoyed, according to their ages and abilities, playing tennis alongside professional tennis players including the British Cameron Norrie, Chilean Nicolas Jarry, Belarusian Ilya Ivashka, American Tommy Paul, Mexicans Ernesto Escobedo and Rodrigo Pacheco and Australian Rinky Hijikata, among others.

Skill challenges with huge rackets and mini-tennis alongside great tennis players helped fulfill the dream of dozens of girls and boys to play on an excellent professional court such as the one at the main stadium of the Cabo Sports Complex (CSC).

The fun activity promotes the integration of boys and girls with tennis, it is an opportunity for children who attend the tournament to have an approach with stars who play in Los Cabos, who give them tips, gifts and share their training.

With an agenda of activities planned for children and their parents, Mextenis and the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo seek to integrate the community in sports initiation programs, in this case with a first approach of children to tennis and physical activity.

• Top four seeds await opponents

Mexico’s Rodrigo Pacheco faces a tough challenge in the first round against Chile’s Nicolas Jarry (No. 29).
Los Cabos, July 29, 2023.- In the ceremony headed by Geoffrey Fernandez, director of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo, and in which the Croatian player Borna Coric (No. 15) was a guest, the draw for the main draw of the 7th edition of the ATP 250 tournament took place. The top seeds already know their possible path in search of the tournament title.

World No. 5, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, top seed, and the 2021 Los Cabos champion and 2022 finalist, Cameron Norrie (No. 13), second seed, are on opposite sides of the draw, so they could face each other in the final if they advance. Both advanced bye the first round and await their rivals in the second round.

The same is the case for the American Tommy Paul (No. 14), third seeded, who could face the Briton in the semifinals. One of the most eye-catching first round matches is that of American veteran John Isner against Australian Rinky Hijikata, as the winner will face Tsitsipas in the second round.

Alex de Miñaur (No. 17), seeded fifth, is aiming to reach the double in Mexico after winning Acapulco, but first he will have to beat a qualifier in the first round and could face Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.

Mexican junior Rodrigo Pacheco (No. 819), who received one of the three wild cards, was drawn at the top of the draw and will have a tough challenge against sixth-seeded Chilean Nicolas Jarry (No. 29), who also received an invitation from the tournament and is the favorite due to his experience.

Ernesto Escobedo (No. 373), also representing Mexico, will face Spanish player Nicolas Moreno de Alboran and the winner will have Borna Coric, fourth seed, as his next obstacle.

In this regard, the Croatian present at the ceremony revealed that the Mexican born in California is his possible rival “I think that in juniors we played together and I had to practice with him, but now it will be complicated“. Coric makes his debut in Los Cabos and assures that he is enjoying the destination.

In the rest of the Latin American representation, Chileans Cristian Garin and Alejandro Tabilo were in opposite sides of the draw, where the latter could face Tommy Paul in the round of 16.

Geoffrey Fernandez, director of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo, said he expects this to be the first of many visits by giving him the warmest welcome. He added: “We have a great draw, very competitive with all the Top 20. The Mexicans are very interesting and for the first time we have a Mexican player at No. 1 in the draw, Santiago Gonzalez. The first round match between Rodri and Jarry catches my attention. Also to remind you that we have new things at the venue. We are looking forward to this edition and we are grateful to the media present,” said Geoffrey Fernandez, director of the Mifel Tennis Open by telcel Oppo.

The main draw of the Mifel Tennis Open begins on Monday, July 31 at 6:00 p.m. local time. On Saturday and Sunday, the qualifying tournament will be held, which will distribute four tickets to the main draw.

• The Greek enters the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo in Los Cabos as a big favorite to win the ATP 250

Mexico City, July 25, 2023.- Since 2018, Stefanos Tsitsipas has won at least one tournament every year, but in 2023 titles have eluded him and at the Mifel Open by Telcel Oppo in Los Cabos he hopes to end that drought. The 25-year-old Greek is coming to the Mexican tournament with the goal of lifting his first title of the year in a tournament in which he will be playing for the first time and in a country whose fans support him.

Tsitsipas will arrive at the tournament as the world No. 5. Since his jump to professionalism in 2016, the Greek has done nothing but become one of the most media-friendly names within the ATP circuit not only thanks to his talent and his nine titles, but also thanks to his openness on social networks and charismatic personality.

So far he has contested two Grand Slam finals, at the Australian Open 2023 and at Roland Garros in 2021, however his most outstanding titles so far are the two conquests at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000, in addition to the Nitto ATP Finals in 2019, when he was only 21 years old.

While his strength shines on clay, Tsitsipas has evolved his game to be a protagonist in hard court tournaments and even on grass. In the last edition of Wimbledon he defeated in an epic five-set match a legend of the grass as Andy Murray and despite leaving in the fourth round, he managed to maintain his ranking in the Top 5 of the ATP, which he has not left since October 2022.

Stefanos has not even been out of the world Top 10 since February 2019, which reflects his consistency and discipline as a player. His best rung was first reached in August 2019 when he reached No. 3 and once again after the Australian Open last January. His goal is to close the last period of the season with at least one title and the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo could be his big chance as he is the top seed in a draw that boasts five Top 20 players.

The 250 points offered by the Los Cabos tournament are also of utmost importance in the race to the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin in November, a tournament to which eight players qualify.

There is no doubt that the presence of Tsitsipas for the first time in Los Cabos, after his successful visits to Acapulco, will give something to talk about on and off the court, as the Greek has also shown to be in one of the happiest stages of his life at the moment due to his relationship with fellow tennis player Paula Badosa.

• With three finals in Mexico, two in Los Cabos and one in Acapulco, Norrie has become a fan favorite.

Mexico City, July 21, 2023. – The 10 finals that British Cameron Norrie reached on the ATP Tour between May 2021 and August 2022, a period in which he won the ATP 250 Los Cabos and Indian Wells Masters 1000 titles, the first two of his career, left a mark on Norrie and the Mexican fans who saw him win first in Baja California and later in California.

Because of those achievements, Cameron has a tattoo of a desert scene with two cactus on his left leg in honor of his two ATP Tour titles in Los Cabos and Indian Wells.

That great level installed Norrie in the elite of the sport and now he will seek to confirm his talent in the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo to be played from July 31 to August 5 at the Cabo Sports Complex (CSC).

A few months later, at the start of 2022, the British player extended his good momentum to the Acapulco Open 500, where he played the final against the Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who won the title. In his second foray in Los Cabos, he also reached the final, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev.

Now, back in Los Cabos, Norrie, 27, will try to reach his third consecutive final in a tournament he is very good at. As No. 13 in the ATP rankings, he will be looking for his second title in Los Cabos and his second in 2023 after the one he won against Carlos Alcaraz at the Rio de Janeiro Open 500 last February.

Although he entered the Top 10 in April 2022, he reached his best position, number 8 in September 2022, and with that he joined Tim Henman, Andy Murray and Greg Rusedski as the four Top 10s in the history of British tennis.

In a career that began in 2017 with his jump to the professional level, Norrie already has five titles, the Indian Wells Masters 1000 and the Los Cabos ATP 250 in 2021; he conquered Lyon and Delray Beach in 2022 and the Rio de Janeiro Open 500 in 2023.