Bellingham and Courtois challenge Nadal and Sinner on a court set up at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium

Midfielder Jude Bellingham and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois swapped boots for rackets this Friday afternoon. The Real Madrid stars participated in the inauguration of a clay court installed inside the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. The structure will serve as the official training center for the Madrid Open. The event was attended by Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner, two of the main names on the world tennis circuit.

The opening ceremony brought together idols from different sports in a friendly doubles contest. Courtois formed a partnership with Spanish Rafael Nadal. Do on the other side of the net, the British Bellingham played alongside the Italian Jannik Sinner, current number 2 in the ATP rankings. The movement marked the beginning of court activities at the Real Madrid sports complex for the Masters 1000 category tournament.

🎾 ¡Una visita muy especial en el Bernabéu! pic.twitter.com/OJhwqybsLS

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 23, 2026

Estádio Santiago Bernabéu receives structure from Madrid Open

The transformation of the stadium into logistical support for tennis is part of the Merengue arena’s multipurpose strategy. The retractable lawn gave way to clay to welcome the athletes competing for the title in the Spanish capital until the beginning of May. Durante During the exhibition, the football players showed their skills with the racket and interacted with the invited public. The net was closely watched by a chair umpire well known to the local fans.

Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, took charge of the exhibition game. The manager served as a judge and averaged the scores between the athletes. The presence of Pérez reinforces the institutional link between the club and the tennis event, which annually attracts thousands of tourists to the city. A relaxed atmosphere prevailed throughout the inaugural activity.

Presença female and gift exchange between stars

The meeting was not limited to the main quartet that played the first symbolic set. The Polish Iga Swiatek, leader of the women’s ranking, also participated in the activities and challenged the Real Madrid athletes in exchanges of balls at the back of the court. Ela was accompanied by Linda Caicedo, striker for the Spanish club’s women’s football team. The integration between football and tennis was celebrated by the event’s sponsors.

At the end of the matches, the athletes exchanged traditional sports treats. The tennis players received personalized uniforms from Real Madrid. In return, the football players were presented with high-performance technical materials.

• Jude Bellingham received a racket autographed by Rafael Nadal.
• Thibaut Courtois received training equipment from Jannik Sinner.
• Rafael Nadal received an official shirt from Florentino Pérez.
• Iga Swiatek was presented with the new Madrid women’s team uniform.
• Jannik Sinner posed for photos wearing the Merengue club’s number 5 shirt.

Calendário from Madrid Open and Brazilian debut in the tournament

The official Masters 1000 matches of Madri continue at a fast pace on the clay courts of Caixa Mágica. The final of the competition is scheduled for May 3rd. The tournament is considered one of the main preparations for Roland Garros, the French Grand Slam. The presence of Nadal in Madri generates great expectations, as the Spaniard deals with the final stage of his professional career.

Brasil will also have prominent representation in this year’s main brackets. The young João Fonseca makes his official debut this Friday afternoon, April 24th. The Brazilian’s departure is scheduled to take place at around 4:10 pm local time. Fonseca tries to advance in a bracket full of veterans and established names from the new generation of world tennis.