“We are convinced that this will be the best edition of the tournament in history,” said Geoffrey Fernández, general director of the Los Cabos Open, with euphoria, when presenting the main list of players for 2022 (from August 1 to 6), in which, for the first time, includes three top 10 tennis players in the ATP world ranking: Daniil Medvedev (ranking 2), Félix Auger-Aliassime (9) and Cameron Norrie (10).
The surprise in the announcement was the Russian Medvedev, who arrives with the label of being the only one capable of breaking the hegemony of the Big 4 (Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray) at the top of the ATP ranking for 18 years, occupying the place of honor for three weeks after their participation in the Acapulco Open 2022. For their part, Auger-Aliassime, Norrie and John Isner (27) had already been announced since the end of February.
The Los Cabos tournament will be only the second of the 2022 ATP Tour that will feature three top 10 tennis players on its poster after Marseille, held in mid-February. The difficulty in bringing in entrants of this quality was also reflected on the 2021 Tour, with only two of the 38 250-level tournaments that season delivering a trio of top 10 finishes.
“It is not easy to have three top 10 tennis players in a 250-level tournament, normally those who are in that ranking take great care of themselves and participate in lesser numbers on the (ATP) Tour,” said Fernández. The Los Cabos tournament began to be played in 2016 and it was in its 2018 edition when it had a top 10 for the first time, the Argentine Juan Martín Del Potro, who was number 4 in the world at the time. In 2019 there was another: the Italian Fabio Fognini (number 10), but three had never been completed in the same contest.
How was the management to finalize the presence of Medvedev in Los Cabos 2022?
“The experience that Daniil had in Acapulco had a lot to do with it, the click he had with the people and the entire audience that visited us. From there it led to the fact that in that same week (from February 21 to 26) we began talks with him and they worked very well. We had a great relationship, the company that supports all this, which is Mextenis, gives them (the tennis players) a lot of peace of mind and their representative has a good relationship with both Raúl (Zurutuza, director of the Acapulco Open) and me. He helped, everything was given so that he made the decision for him to be with us and we are delighted to have him, ”Geoffrey Fernández explained to The Economist.
The director of the Los Cabos Open reserved the exact amount that Daniil Medvedev was paid to participate in his tournament, but assured that “without a doubt he is the most expensive player” they have brought. However, this newspaper was able to learn that a tennis player who is part of the top 10 and has already won a Grand Slam (Medvedev won the US Open 2021) can earn between 250,000 and 300,000 dollars for his participation.
“It costs a lot (to bring Medvedev), but in the end it is worth it. A few years ago we made the leap with Acapulco, at the time we brought Rafael Nadal, (Maria) Sharapova, Venus Williams and Andy Murray, now we are doing the same with Los Cabos, because bringing figures of this level will undoubtedly put us in the spotlight of many people, from many parts of the world and it will give that jump that the tournament needs”, added Fernández.
The relationship between Medvedev and Mexico began just this year, when he participated in the Acapulco Open, where he fell in the semifinals against Rafael Nadal. According to statements by the director of said tournament, Raúl Zurutuza, the negotiations for the Russian to play on Mexican soil for the first time began in September 2021.
“With Medvedev’s agent there were three calls, all positive because we already knew him from other players he manages and since September we reached an agreement with him (…) He left very happy, very grateful and the greatest feedback I have from his agent is that he is very happy. He will most likely come back next year and could be an active member like Rafa (Nadal).”
A source close to tennis told this newspaper that Medvedev’s participation in Los Cabos could have been achieved as “a package” together with the Acapulco tournament, in order to reduce costs in his fee. He also explained that the participation fees of the tennis players depend on several factors, mainly the handling of his agent, the time he has been in the top 10 and how mediatic he is. Due to this, she describes that the price of the Russian is still below figures like Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal.
In Los Cabos 2022, Daniil Medvedev will play his first ATP 250 tournament in Latin America, as he had only participated in competitions of this level in Europe, the United States, Australia and India. His most recent participation was in June 2021 at the Mallorca Open, where he was champion against the American Sam Querrey.
The Russian tennis player entered the top 10 of the ATP for the first time in July 2019 and from that year his participation in the 250 level tournaments began to decrease with only three presences, contrary to 2018, when he played nine and in 2017, with 10. Already in 2020 he only played one 250 tournament and in 2021 only two, focusing his performances on the 500 level competitions, Masters 1000 and the Grand Slams.
Since beginning his ATP career in 2013, Medvedev has contested 23 singles finals, of which eight have been at the 250 level, with a record six titles: Sydney International 2018, Winston-Salem 2018, Sofia 2019, St. Petersburg 2019, Marseille 2021 and Majorca 2021.
With three top 10 tennis players this year, what is the expectation for 2023?
“We have already set the bar very high, now we cannot lower it. We have to always be at that level, trying to bring this quality of tennis players, we have already been doing it, we brought good tennis players, not in the top 10, but now they have already got three and of course the bar is high. Our commitment will always be to bring the best players”, emphasized Geoffrey Fernández.
It should be noted that the 2022 Los Cabos Open competes on the schedule with the Washington Open, in the 500 category, which could reduce the ability to bring in other relevant ranking players. Until the conference on April 5, the poster only includes Medvedev, Auger-Aliassime, Norrie and Isner, while the organizers clarified that they are still evaluating which Mexicans could enter through the wildcard route.
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