WTA players avoid Guadalajara traffic with helicopter rides

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Guadalajara is known around the world as the birthplace of tequila and mariachi music. For the tennis players who come to the WTA 500 tournament, the city is the only stop on the tour where they can soar through the skies before their matches.

To avoid a high traffic zone around the Centro Panamericano de Tenis, located in Zapopan, a Guadalajara suburb, tournament organizers offer players helicopter rides from the hotel to the venue.

Players can also book rides from the airport to their hotel.

"We wanted to do something extra for the players," tournament director Gustavo Santoscoy said. "Players just love the experience."

Transportation by car is offered as well.

"Some tournaments offer little tourist trips for players in helicopters, but certainly not as a regular way to get from the hotel to the venue," said WTA communications director Alex Prior. "In that sense it's the only WTA event to offer this regular service."

Besides getting a chance to watch one of three largest cities in the country from above, players also get the benefit of a quicker way to get to the venue, either for practice or for their matches.

The distance between the hotel and the venue is nearly seven miles (11 kilometers). Depending on the traffic conditions, the trip could take between 30 and 40 minutes. In the helicopter it takes four minutes, according to pilot Martin Guevara.

"To be honest, for me they are like any other passenger. I treat everyone the same way, but I can say that it seems like they enjoy the rides," said Guevara. "Some of them are very friendly and nice."

The number of daily flights varies from day by day, but according to Guevara, he does nearly 10 flights per day and moves around 40 players.

The WTA 500 in Guadalajara tournament began Monday and will end on Sunday.

"It's been a great experience, I did it two years ago and this one. It's a great chance to see the city," said French player Caroline Garcia. "This is a very well-organized tournament, and it is a pleasure to come back here."

Since 2022, there have been no major incidents reported with players flying in by helicopters to the tournament, but Donna Vekic, who won the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, got a scare.

"It was great, except the door opened mid-flight," Vekic said in 2022. "It was actually my fault because when we were sitting at the beginning, it was so hot, so I opened the door a little bit to have some air. I guess I didn't close it properly."

Aviacopter, the company that provides the services, said that players receive instructions on what to do and what not to do on board. Personnel from the company usually fasten the players' seatbelts and secure the doors to make sure nothing like Vekic experienced happens again.

"We have a great city, with good hotels, restaurants, awesome food and players even like to take small tours around, some of them to Tequila," Santoscoy said of the chopper shuttle. "We are trying very hard to make them feel welcome and for them to come back every year."

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis