EL PASO, Texas — The Federal Aviation Administration is closing the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days, grounding all flights to and from the airport.

A notice posted on the FAA’s website said the temporary flight restrictions were for “special security reasons,” but did not provide additional details. The closure does not include Mexican airspace.

The airport said in an Instagram post that all flights to and from the airport would be grounded from late Tuesday through late on Feb. 20, including commercial, cargo and general aviation flights. It suggested travelers contact their airlines to get up-to-date flight information.

The shutdown is likely to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area. El Paso, a border city with a population of nearly 700,000 and larger when you include the surrounding metro area, is hub of cross-border commerce alongside neighboring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.

The airport describes itself as the gateway to west Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico. Southwest, United, American and Delta all operate flights there, among others.

The Dallas Open has taken over Frisco this week, a far cry from its inaugural tournament at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex at SMU just four years ago. 

Now, the Star – best known as the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters – has become the epicenter of tennis in North Texas.

A tournament born from a meeting

One of the masterminds behind the inception of the tournament is SMU men’s tennis coach Grant Chen.

The event came about after a scheduled 30‑minute meeting between Chen and several other organizers turned into a three‑hour conversation that ultimately led to what the Dallas Open is today.

“It’s been a remarkable ride,” Chen said. “It’s almost like a movie. This all started with a lunch on December 17th, 2020. To see it six years later to come to this….it’s so great for the DFW, it’s great for the metroplex, it’s great for sports and it’s great for Tennis.”

Participation and interest on the rise

The growth can be seen not just in the venue, but in the sport itself.

Tennis has seen a boom in participation over the last five years, according to statistics from the U.S. Tennis Association.

As of Feb. 2, 2026, TCU, Texas A&M, Texas and Baylor are all ranked in the ITA Top 25 in collegiate tennis.

American stars fueling momentum

This year’s tournament has no shortage of American talent.

Players like Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton are headliners in this year’s Dallas Open, and having these players front and center has helped the sport evolve in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

“If you look at UIL and high school tennis, that’s been taking off,” Chen said. “You look at college tennis, Texas has some of the top collegiate teams in the country between TCU, Baylor, SMU, UT, A&M, Rice, you name it.”

Looking ahead to future growth

So where does the tournament go from here?

Chen says he’s looking to keep growing the event, but for now, he’s just like the fans who come to the Dallas Open — excited to watch the best of the best take the stage.

“Like they say, everything is bigger in Texas,” Chen said. “How do we make it bigger, better, stronger, faster for 2027. But for right now, the ’26 event is going on, the lineup the next couple of days is unreal.”