Los Cabos Open

The Los Cabos Open, officially known as the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo, is a professional men's tennis tournament categorized as an ATP 250 event, played on outdoor hard courts in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico.^[1][2] It features a singles draw of 28 players and a doubles draw of 16 teams, attracting top-ranked competitors and drawing more than 35,000 spectators in 2025 to the Cabo Sports Complex in San José del Cabo, with the Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort, serving as the host hotel.^[1][3] Established in 2016 as Mexico's premier hard-court event during the North American summer swing, the tournament offers a total prize money purse of $889,890, with the singles winner receiving $135,320.^[1][4][5] Since its inception, the Los Cabos Open has grown into one of the most prominent ATP 250 tournaments in the Americas, combining high-level competition with cultural entertainment, live music, and local cuisine to enhance the fan experience.^[2][6] The event typically occurs in mid-July, serving as a key preparatory stop for players ahead of major hard-court tournaments like the US Open.^[1] Notable past singles champions include Ivo Karlović (2016), Diego Schwartzman (2017), Juan Martín del Potro (2018), Nick Kyrgios (2019), Cameron Norrie (2021), Daniil Medvedev (2022), Stefanos Tsitsipas (2023), Jordan Thompson (2024), and Denis Shapovalov (2025).^[1][7] The 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the tournament has since rebounded, consistently featuring wild cards for emerging Mexican talents and international stars.^[1] Sponsored by entities like Telcel, OPPO, and Mifel, it underscores Los Cabos' role as a hub for international sports tourism.^[2]

Overview

Tournament details

The Los Cabos Open is classified as an ATP 250 series event, a category it has held since its inception in 2016 as part of the ATP Tour calendar.^[1] This level of tournament features competitive play among professional male tennis players, contributing points toward the ATP rankings system.^[1] The tournament is played on outdoor hard courts, providing a fast-paced surface that suits aggressive playing styles and is consistent with many North American events.^[1] It is held annually in Los Cabos, specifically in San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, drawing international competitors and spectators to the region's resort destination.^[8][9] Typically scheduled in July, the event forms part of the ATP's North American summer swing, serving as a key preparatory tournament in the lead-up to the US Open in late August.^[10] As of 2025, nine editions of the tournament have been completed, with the 2020 edition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[3][8][11] The draw consists of 28 players in the singles competition and 16 teams in the doubles competition, allowing for a compact yet intense week of matches.^[1]

Sponsorship and naming

The Los Cabos Open was established in 2016 under its original name, Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Los Cabos, without a title sponsor in its inaugural edition.^[12] This neutral branding reflected the tournament's debut as an ATP 250 event aimed at expanding professional tennis in Mexico.^[13] Starting in 2017, Mexican financial institution Mifel secured naming rights, rebranding the event as Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Mifel presentado por Cinemex, with Cinemex as a presenting sponsor.^[14] Mifel has remained the primary title sponsor since then, evolving the name to Mifel Tennis Open to emphasize its international appeal while retaining focus on the Los Cabos location.^[15] In 2023, telecommunications company Telcel and technology firm Oppo joined as presenting sponsors, updating the official title to Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo.^[16] This integration marked a shift toward multi-sponsor branding, with Telcel and Oppo contributing to on-site activations and digital promotion.^[17] These sponsorship partnerships have significantly boosted the tournament's promotion and international visibility, drawing top-ranked players and generating substantial media coverage across Latin America and beyond.^[1] By leveraging sponsors' networks, the event has enhanced its profile as a key ATP stop, contributing to economic growth through increased tourism and global exposure for Los Cabos as a premier sports destination.^[18]

Venue

Current venue

The Los Cabos Open has been held at the Cabo Sports Complex in San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, since 2022, following a relocation from its prior site to accommodate growing demand for the ATP 250 event.^[19][6] The complex features a main stadium with 3,500 seats, a grandstand court seating 1,000 spectators, and multiple additional match and practice courts equipped with state-of-the-art Solflex hard courts designed for international professional tennis competitions.^[19][18][20] Luxury amenities enhance the spectator experience, including VIP suites, reserved lounges with open bars and high-quality dining, shaded hospitality zones, fan zones with food courts, live entertainment, and kids' areas for family-friendly engagement.^{[21][18][22][23]} Opened in 2021, the 5,000-square-meter facility was purpose-built to host elite tennis events while prioritizing architectural harmony with its surroundings.^[18][24] Since the move, the tournament has drawn an estimated 30,000 fans annually, with attendance reaching 25,000 in 2022, 30,000 in 2023, 34,000 in 2024, and over 35,000 in 2025.^[8][25] Architecturally, the complex integrates seamlessly with the Baja California Sur desert landscape through rammed earth walls that echo the site's natural tones and textures, creating a subdued, horizontal design that minimizes visual intrusion and enhances views of the surrounding terrain.^[26][27][28]

Previous venues

The Los Cabos Open was originally hosted at the Delmar International School in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, from its inception in 2016 through 2021.^[17][8] The venue consisted of a temporary stadium setup constructed on the school's grounds in the El Tezal neighborhood, featuring a main court with a metal-framed structure designed specifically for the event.^[29][13] This setup provided a main stadium capacity of 3,500 seats, along with a grandstand accommodating around 1,000 spectators and four additional hard courts, making it appropriate for launching an ATP 250-level tournament in a developing tennis market.^[13] The facilities also included hospitality areas, a media center, and player zones to support the competition.^[13] Editions were held in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, followed by a return in 2021 after the 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[30] Despite its success in establishing the tournament, the temporary infrastructure at Delmar presented limitations, such as vulnerability to regional weather patterns including hurricanes and high winds, as well as logistical constraints for expanding operations on school property.^[17] These factors, combined with the event's rapid increase in popularity and attendance, necessitated a transition to a larger, permanent venue to accommodate growing demand and enhance year-round usability.^[17][8]

History

Establishment and early years

The Los Cabos Open was established in 2016 as an ATP 250 men's singles and doubles tournament, replacing the Claro Open in Bogotá, Colombia, and expanding the ATP Tour's footprint in Mexico beyond the Mexico Open in Acapulco.^[31] The event was organized through a collaboration between the ATP, local promoters including Mextenis, and the Los Cabos Tourism Board, with the goal of positioning the destination as a leading sports and leisure hub in Latin America.^[6][3] The inaugural edition took place from August 8 to 13 at newly constructed facilities on the grounds of Delmar International School in Cabo San Lucas, marking a significant logistical undertaking for organizers amid the need to rapidly develop infrastructure for professional play.^[17] Ivo Karlović of Croatia claimed the first singles title, defeating Feliciano López of Spain 7–6(7–5), 6–2 in the final, while the doubles crown went to Santiago González of Mexico and Scott Lipsky of the United States.^[32] Despite challenges in drawing consistent top-tier fields early on, the tournament attracted notable players such as Juan Martín del Potro, who debuted in 2018 and reached the final that year.^[1] In 2017, Sam Querrey of the United States won the singles title, overcoming Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia 6–3, 3–6, 6–2 to secure his second ATP crown of the year in Mexico.^[33] The 2018 edition saw Fabio Fognini of Italy triumph, upsetting top seed del Potro 6–4, 6–2 in the final and solidifying the event's status in the hard-court summer swing preceding the US Open.^[34] In 2019, Diego Schwartzman of Argentina captured the title, defeating Taylor Fritz of the United States 7–6(6), 6–3 for his first ATP hard-court crown.^[35] These years helped build the tournament's reputation, with growing attendance and media coverage highlighting its role in the ATP calendar. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of the ATP's broader suspension of events through July.^[30]

Growth and developments

The Los Cabos Open resumed in 2021 following the cancellation of its 2020 edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing strict health protocols that included playing without spectators to mitigate risks.^[36] Cameron Norrie of Great Britain emerged as the champion, defeating Jordan Thompson in the final to claim his first ATP Tour title.^[1] The tournament marked the inaugural use of the newly built Cabo Sports Complex as its venue, a multi-purpose facility designed to accommodate larger crowds and improved amenities compared to previous sites.^[17] In 2022, world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev of Russia won the title, defeating defending champion Norrie 7–5, 6–0, as the event fully reopened to the public at the Cabo Sports Complex, drawing 25,000 attendees and signaling a recovery in fan engagement.^[37][8] Attendance continued to rise, reaching 30,000 in 2023 and 34,000 in 2024, reflecting the tournament's growing appeal.^[8] The 2023 edition elevated its prestige when world No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas captured the title, defeating Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 in the final for his 10th career ATP singles crown and first on outdoor hard courts.^[38] By 2025, the event had attracted over 35,000 spectators, surpassing previous records and establishing it as one of Latin America's premier tennis tournaments.^[3] To align with the Olympic schedule, the ATP shifted the tournament from its traditional July slot to February in 2024, positioning it as a key hard-court lead-up event ahead of the Paris Games. Jordan Thompson of Australia claimed the title that year, defeating Casper Ruud 6–3, 7–6(4) for his maiden ATP singles crown.^[39][40] This adaptation helped maintain player participation despite global calendar disruptions. The 2025 edition, held in July, featured unprecedented Mexican representation with four players—Rodrigo Pacheco Méndez, Luis Carlos Álvarez, Alex Hernández, and Alan Magadán—in the singles main draw, a historic milestone for local talent development.^[41] Denis Shapovalov of Canada won the title, defeating Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-2 in the final for his fourth career ATP singles trophy and second of the season.^[42] The tournament's expansion has significantly boosted local tourism, generating an economic impact exceeding $6 million in 2024 through visitor spending on accommodations, dining, and related activities.^[8] Organizers have enhanced off-court experiences, including culinary events and entertainment, further integrating the event into Los Cabos' luxury resort ecosystem and solidifying its role as a high-profile stop on the ATP Tour.^[1]

Format

Draw and scheduling

The Los Cabos Open, as an ATP 250 event, features a singles main draw of 28 players, structured to include 24 direct entries and four qualifiers. The top four seeds, based on current ATP rankings, receive byes into the second round, allowing the first round to consist of 12 matches involving the remaining 24 players (including wildcards and lower-ranked direct entries). Qualifying for the four main-draw spots occurs through a 16-player event held over two days immediately before the main draw begins, providing opportunities for ranked players outside the top 100 to compete.^[1][43] The doubles competition consists of a 16-team main draw with no byes, resulting in eight first-round matches. Four teams advance from a dedicated qualifying draw, typically involving 12 to 16 entrants, to fill the remaining spots alongside 12 direct entries based on doubles rankings. This format ensures a balanced bracket leading to quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final.^[1][44] All singles and doubles matches follow the standard ATP best-of-three sets format, with conventional tiebreaks played at 6-6 in every set, including the deciding third set, to maintain consistency and prevent excessively long contests on the hard courts. No advantage scoring or extended final sets are used, aligning with ATP Tour regulations for non-Grand Slam events.^[45] The tournament integrates into the ATP calendar in mid-July, post-Wimbledon, to capitalize on the hard-court season transition. Qualifying rounds span two days (typically a Saturday and Sunday), followed by a six-day main draw from Monday to Saturday, allowing for daily sessions that accommodate up to four rounds of play in singles. The 2025 edition's main draw occurred from July 14 to 19, concluding ahead of the concurrent ATP 500 tournaments in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., to facilitate player travel and recovery.^[1][46] ATP ranking points are distributed on the standard scale for 250-level events with a 28/32-player singles draw: the champion receives 250 points, the finalist 165, each semifinalist 100, each quarterfinalist 50, second-round losers 25 (or 1 for first-round exits), and qualifying winners earn additional points (e.g., 13 for the final qualifying round). The doubles points mirror this structure, with the winning team awarded 250 points, emphasizing team performance in the rankings. Prize money progression ties to round advancement, though financial details are outlined separately.^[47][19] Seeding in singles is capped at four players, who benefit from first-round byes to protect higher-ranked competitors and streamline the early stages. Wildcards, usually two to four per draw, are awarded by tournament organizers to local Mexican talents or emerging prospects, fostering regional participation; for instance, in 2025, multiple Mexican players received singles wildcards to highlight homegrown ability. Doubles seeding follows ATP guidelines, with top pairs prioritized but no byes granted.^[48][44]

Prize money

The total prize money for the Los Cabos Open in 2025 is $889,890 USD, distributed between the singles and doubles events.^[1][5] In the singles draw, the winner receives $135,320, the runner-up earns $78,695, semifinalists collect $46,420 each, quarterfinalists get $26,895, second-round losers are awarded $15,615, and first-round losers receive $9,545.^[1] For doubles, the winning team splits $47,080, finalists share $25,290, semifinalists divide $14,800, quarterfinalists receive $8,210 combined, and first-round losing teams earn $4,840 each.^[5] The tournament's prize purse has grown since its inception in 2016 at $721,030, with increases in most years despite occasional dips, reaching a peak of $915,245 in 2024 before a 2.77% reduction in 2025.^[5][49] All prize money is disbursed in United States dollars, and international players face Mexican tax withholdings on their earnings, typically up to 35% depending on residency and treaty provisions.^[50][51] The funding for the prize pool is primarily provided by title sponsors Mifel and Telcel, along with other ATP-approved contributions.^[1]

Past champions

Singles

The singles event at the Los Cabos Open, an ATP 250 tournament played on outdoor hard courts, has produced nine unique champions across its editions from 2016 to 2025, highlighting the competitive nature of the draw. The event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[1] Notable finals have featured high-stakes matchups, such as Juan Martín del Potro's loss to Fabio Fognini in 2018 amid del Potro's strong hard-court form, and Stefanos Tsitsipas securing his first title of 2023 against Alex de Minaur in a tight contest.^[52] Several milestones stand out, including Ivo Karlović winning his eighth ATP title at age 37 in 2016, becoming the oldest ATP singles champion since 1979.^[53] Jordan Thompson's 2024 victory marked his maiden ATP singles title after three prior final losses, while Denis Shapovalov's 2025 triumph was his fourth career title and second of the year, achieved without dropping a set.^[40][42]

Doubles

The doubles competition at the Los Cabos Open has featured a mix of local Mexican players partnering with international talent and fully global teams, reflecting the tournament's appeal to diverse pairings since its inception in 2016. Early editions highlighted emerging pairs from Asia and Latin America, while later years saw a rise in European and North American duos, often culminating in tight finals decided by tiebreaks or super tiebreaks. Mexican involvement has been notable, with players like Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela and Hans Hach Verdugo contributing to successful teams, underscoring the event's role in elevating homegrown talent alongside world-class competitors. The 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[1] The following table lists all doubles champions, runners-up, and final scores from 2016 to 2025: Team dynamics have been key to success in Los Cabos, where partnerships often blend complementary styles—such as the powerful serving of Isner with Hach Verdugo's net play in 2021, or the steady baseline game of González and Roger-Vasselin in 2023—to overcome challenging hard-court conditions. Mexican players have appeared in three finals, with Reyes-Varela's 2018 victory marking the first all-Latin American pair to win, highlighting local pride and the tournament's cultural significance.^[1] Post-2020, a trend toward international pairings has emerged, with all-non-Mexican teams winning in 2022, 2024, and 2025, as the event attracted higher-ranked global duos amid the ATP tour's recovery from COVID-19 disruptions; this shift emphasizes the Open's growing status as a key North American hard-court stop, drawing teams like the all-Australian Purcell/Thompson in 2024, who completed a rare singles-doubles sweep.^[61]