Real Madrid's Bernabeu to Be Converted into Temporary Tennis Training Court for This Year's Madrid Open
2026 Madrid Open will see Real Madrid's home ground — Santiago Bernabeu Stadium temporarily transformed into a clay tennis training court.
The Bernabeu is just 1.5 km from the players' hotel, offering a more convenient preparation option for competitors. This move also fully demonstrates the multi-functional potential of this legendary stadium: the Bernabeu has hosted the 1982 World Cup final, the 1964 European Championship final, four Champions League finals, and in November 2025, Spain's first NFL regular-season game. In 2024, it also hosted a Taylor Swift concert.
In 2023, the Bernabeu, located in central Madrid, completed a $1 billion renovation, equipped with a retractable turf system. The turf is divided into six sections, each measuring 11.6 meters by 107 meters.
After Real Madrid's match against Alavés on April 23, part of the turf will slide and sink via mechanical systems into an underground greenhouse storage area, where plant growth lights and temperature control systems keep the grass in optimal condition. Meanwhile, a clay training court matching official standards will be laid on the concrete base, enabling rapid functional conversion.
From April 23 to 30, participating players including Carlos Alcaraz can use the court for pre-tournament preparation, while Real Madrid will have several weeks of away fixtures, avoiding any scheduling conflicts.
Tournament director Feliciano Lopez revealed that many players and coaches have inquired since the announcement, but the Bernabeu will not host official tennis matches in the future. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has long wanted to bring tennis to the Bernabeu, believing it could host tennis exhibition matches in the future.
The main draw of this year's Madrid Open will take place from April 20 to May 3 at the Caja Mágica (pictured below), located about 5 miles south of central Madrid. With the expanded player field, the original training courts are severely insufficient, and organizers have rented multiple private venues in the city as supplements in recent years.
｜Source: Official press release, BBC Sports, Marca
｜Image credit: Madrid Open official website, Bernabeu Stadium official Facebook