"Sad to see destruction in the place I played so many times" - Rafael Nadal reacts as hurricane severely damages Mexican Open venue

Former World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has expressed sadness over the severe damage caused to the Mexican Open venue by a hurricane in the North American country.

A total of 27 individuals have lost their lives in Acapulco, Mexico. The place has been left devastated by the impact of Hurricane Otis, which struck the coast on Wednesday (October 25) as a powerful Category 5 storm.

According to the announcement by the Mexican Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez, four people are missing too.

A video surfaced on X (formerly Twitter) earlier on Thursday (October 26) which showed the extensive damage suffered by the venue of the ATP 500 tournament because of the natural hazard. The place looked nearly unrecognizable.

Rafael Nadal has now weighed in on the matter, taking to Instagram to share pictures of the wreckage. The 22-time Grand Slam champion said he is 'sad' to see the 'destruction' of the place where he has played many times before.

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

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Rafael Nadal has 4 Mexican Open titles under his belt

Rafael Nadal pictured with his 4th Mexican Open trophy

It is worth noting that Rafael Nadal has enjoyed great success at the Mexican Open, winning four titles to date.

The Spaniard won his first title at the ATP 500 tournament in 2005, when he was a teenager. The No. 8 seed defeated Alex Calatrava and Santiago Ventura in the first two rounds before knocking out Guillermo Canas and Mariano Puerta in the quarterfinal and semifinal, respectively.

He then faced compatriot Albert Montanes in the summit clash and overcame him 6-1, 6-0 to win the title. Interestingly, Nadal didn't drop a single set en route to the trophy.

The Spaniard lifted his second Mexican Open title eight years later, in 2013, defeating top seed David Ferrer in the final 6-0, 6-2. Ferrer was the three-time defending champion, but his compatriot got the better of him easily.

Nadal captured his third title at Acapulco in 2020, defeating American Taylor Fritz. The top seed wasted no time in dispatching Fritz in a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory.

The Spaniard won his fourth and last Mexican Open title in the 2022 edition of the tournament. Continuing his excellent form that season, Nadal outplayed Great Britain's Cameron Norrie to win 6-4, 6-4 in the final.