Rafael Nadal reacts to tennis courts at Santiago Bernabeu
Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois and Jannik Sinner hit the courts with Rafael Nadal as part of a Madrid Open showcase. The session took place inside a football stadium — an unusual setting for tennis.
Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois and Jannik Sinner hit the courts with Rafael Nadal as part of a Madrid Open showcase. The session took place inside a football stadium — an unusual setting for tennis. The event was held at the Santiago Bernabeu, which finished its extensive renovations in 2024.
Its pitch can now be retracted to allow for different types of events. This feature is what made it possible for the Madrid Open to bring tennis right into the heart of where Bellingham and Courtois normally play. With Rafa being a lifelong fan of Real Madrid, it’s safe to say he wouldn’t have dreamed up such an event like this even five years ago, but it’s no surprise that he welcomed it.
Rafael Nadal gives his thoughts on the Santiago Bernabeu tennis courts after hitting with Jannik Sinner Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images After finishing a session with world number one Jannik Sinner, along with Bellingham and Courtois, Nadal spoke to Eurosport about the event. He kept it brief, describing it as “spectacular.
” He continued: “Not much more you can ask for. Also when this unique stadium was built it was made for things like that to happen. Being able to play tennis in this place is something unique and will go down in history.