"Cheer up and strength": Message from Rafael Nadal after Hurricane Otis causes "significant damage" to Acapulco Tennis Stadium and devastates city in Mexico

Hurricane Otis has caused "significant damage" to Acapulco Tennis Stadium as it swept through the beach resort town on Mexico's Pacific Coast, devastating the city in the process. As a result, Rafael Nadal has sent a message of support to the people of Acapulco.

Hurricane Otis is a Category 5 hurricane, meaning it is the strongest that can form. So far, the destruction in Acapulco has left at least 27 dead and four people missing according to government records.

In addition, it has caused billions of dollars in damages, with videos on social media highlighting the wreckage, including flooded streets and destroyed houses. One of the buildings damaged in the hurricane was Acapulco's Tennis Stadium.

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Nadal sends message to people of Acapulco

The city has hosted the ATP 500 Mexican Open, or Abierto Mexicano Acapulco, since 2001, with Grigor Dimitrov, Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios, and Alexander Zverev all among its previous winners. Alex de Minaur is the current defending champion, having ousted Tommy Paul in the final earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Big Three member Nadal has won the event four times overall. He defeated Álbert Montañés to claim the title for the first time in 2005, before winning it again in 2013, 2020, and 2022.

In the wake of the destruction, the 22-time Grand Slam champion shared photos of the damaged stadium on Instagram and sent a message of sorrow and support to the people of Acapulco.

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"Sad to see the footage of the destruction from Hurricane Otis in the place I played so many times. Cheer up and strength," he wrote.

Several fans have also reacted with horror and sadness to the destruction of the stadium.

"Oh my, the venue of the Acapulco Open suffered significant damage from what I could see in this brief clip..." wrote one.

"This is terrible to see..." added tennis journalist Jose Morgades.