WATCH: Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek and more Madrid Open stars train inside Real Madrid’s stadium

Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek have taken to the practice courts in Madrid this week—but not at the usual Mutua Madrid Open venue at the Caja Magica.

Instead, the iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, has been transformed into a clay-court training site for the ATP and WTA 1000 event. Players can even make use of the club’s locker rooms, adding to the unique experience.

To mark the occasion, Real Madrid stars Thibault Courtois, Jude Bellingham and Linda Caicedo joined 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal—a lifelong fan of the Spanish club—for a few star-studded rallies alongside Sinner and Swiatek on Thursday.

One of the standout moments came courtesy of Nadal’s three-year-old son, Rafael Jr., who grabbed a racquet and hit a few balls as Sinner looked on with a grin.

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“Spectacular,” Nadal said of the experience. “You can’t ask for much more. Also, when this unique stadium was built it was designed for things like this to happen. Being able to play tennis in this place is something unique, and it will go down in history.

“It’s a venue that left an impression on me, and has a special place in sport.”

With an 83,000-seat capacity, the Bernabeu completed a major renovation in 2024 that transformed it into one of the most advanced sporting venues in the world. Alongside its retractable roof, the stadium features a retractable pitch system that allows the natural grass field to be divided into trays and stored underground in a climate-controlled environment.

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That innovation makes rapid transformations possible. The clay court was installed in less than two days, with work beginning immediately after Real Madrid’s 2-1 home win over Deportivo Alaves on Tuesday evening and finishing in time for Thursday’s sessions.

Since reopening, the Bernabeu has already hosted major events, including an official NFL game and stops on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. The latest tennis crossover adds to Madrid’s growing reputation for staging large-scale, multi-sport spectacles—and could strengthen its bid to host the 2030 World Cup final, with Barcelona’s 99,300-seater Camp Nou being among the rumored frontrunners.

“The initiative marks an historic step for the tournament, the city of Madrid, and the stadium itself,” reads the tournament’s press release. “The Mutua Madrid Open’s arrival at the Bernabeu reaffirms Madrid’s capacity to host innovative initiatives with global reach, bringing together two great symbols of the city…

“The presence of a clay court in the Bernabeu not only meets an operational need for players, who will have a new training space fully integrated into the tournament dynamic, but also projects a powerful image of Madrid as a capital capable of reinventing its major sporting venues and connecting them with one another.”

Several players have already used the facility, though Sinner later indicated that he plans to stick to training at the Caja Magica for the remainder of the event.

“No, no, no, no. I want to practice here,” he said after his opening win over Benjamin Bonzi. “But yesterday was a very interesting day. Seeing a court there in the Bernabéu was amazing. It was (my) first time going to the stadium...

“For me, it was nice to get (to know) Courtois and Bellingham in a personal point of view. They are incredibly humble, and at the top of the game for so many years already—two different players, obviously, and different ages.”

The practice court will remain in place until Thursday, April 30, while Real Madrid are on a three-match away stretch. Practice sessions are closed to the public, though stadium visitors can still view the setup as a part of the Bernabeu Tour.