Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu stadium will provide training courts for players at the upcoming Madrid Open. The venue's retractable pitch will allow this conversion from April 23 to 30, while matches remain at Caja Mágica.
Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu stadium, home to the club since 1947 and with a capacity exceeding 83,000, will transform parts of its interior into tennis courts for Madrid Open participants. This training facility will be available between April 23 and 30, conveniently located minutes from players' hotels, offering a time-saving and novel experience, as first reported by EssentiallySports and echoed in a TennisTemple tweet on March 25, 2026. The tweet noted that the pitch, like after every match, will be retracted underground—a feature from the stadium's $1 billion renovation completed in late 2023—potentially allowing images of players like Kylian Mbappé with a racket, though no such confirmation exists yet. The main tournament, featuring ATP and WTA events, runs from April 20 to May 3 on clay courts at Caja Mágica. Real Madrid's La Liga schedule facilitates this: a home game against Deportivo Alavés on April 23, followed by away matches against Real Betis on April 26, Espanyol on May 3, and FC Barcelona on May 10, before returning home versus Real Oviedo on May 13. Carlos Alcaraz, a longtime Real Madrid supporter and world No. 1, stands to benefit most, as a top contender for the men's singles title after Casper Ruud's 2025 victory. Aryna Sabalenka aims to defend her women's crown. The Bernabéu has hosted other sports previously, including Spain's first NFL regular-season game in November 2025 between the Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders, drawing 78,610 fans. NFL Spain Country Manager Rafa De Los Santos stated, “The 2025 NFL Madrid game at the Bernabéu was a pivotal moment for the sport in Spain, and we are delighted to confirm that we will return to play a regular season game in 2026 in a multi-year partnership with the City of Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, and Real Madrid C.F.” He added that this commitment supports year-round fan engagement and youth initiatives. The stadium is also set for the EuroBasket 2029 opening game.
