Why is Bernabeu hosting Madrid Open tennis stars?

Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium will swap grass for clay when it hosts the world's biggest tennis stars during next month's Madrid Open.

The iconic stadium will have a practice court installed during the combined ATP and WTA event, enabling players including Spanish men's world number one Carlos Alcaraz to tune up for one of the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams.

Madrid Open organisers say the court will mirror the surfaces at the Caja Magica, which hosts the tournament between 20 April and 3 May.

Players can practise at the Bernabeu between 23 and 26 April if they choose. But the sessions will not be open to the public and the stadium will not be used for the tournament matches.

"It is really exciting we have a proper tennis court in the most iconic stadium in the world," tournament director Feliciano Lopez told BBC Sport.

"Since the news came out I've had a lot of players and coaches texting me to ask questions.

"The goal is to have a proper practice court which helps them - it's not just a marketing opportunity."

Real Madrid do not have any home fixtures planned during the week when their newly renovated stadium will be transformed for tennis.

The 15-time European Cup winners might play in the Champions League quarter-finals on 28 or 29 April if they beat Bayern Munich in the last eight, but already know they will play away from home in the first leg if they go on to face Liverpool or Paris St-Germain.

Three-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist Lopez does not think the move will lead to the Bernabeu hosting tournament matches in the future, similar to how the Miami Open builds it show court inside the Hard Rock Stadium.

"For us, this is not in our minds," said the former world number 13.

Using the global recognition of Real Madrid and the Bernabeu is the latest marketing strategy used by the Madrid Open to increase its visibility.

Among its tactics in recent years has been changing the clay surface to an eye-catching blue, using fashion models instead of ball kids and holding the tournament virtually - with players competing on a games console - during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

"We've always been pioneers," said Lopez.

"We've always been a very innovative tournament and always been the ones to take the biggest risks, always with the intention of doing something new and surprising people."

The move to the Bernabeu will provide a glamorous photo opportunity, but there is also practical purpose.

The tournament's expansion to 96-player singles draws played over a fortnight, along with the doubles events, means it has quickly outgrown the Caja Magica.

The venue, which is about five miles south of central Madrid, has three main show courts, 11 outside courts and five indoor courts, but there remains a lack of practice facilities.

In recent years, several other private venues around the city have been used by players to ease the court congestion.

For Real Madrid, it marks another opportunity to showcase how their futuristic £1.5bn stadium is capable of hosting other sports.

The grass football pitch can be divided into six segments, mechanically sliding away and sunk underground into a greenhouse-style storage area.

The stadium is set to hold an NFL game later this year, although music concerts have been curbed since American pop superstar Taylor Swift performed there twice in 2024 - having sparked a row with local residents over noise pollution.

Madrid president Florentino Perez, often seen watching tennis at the Caja Magica, has also long harboured hopes of bringing the sport to the Bernabeu.

In 2019 he proposed hosting an exhibition match between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

"I think it is a great opportunity for Real Madrid too," added Lopez.

"They see it as a good chance to use the stadium more and maybe in the future some sort of tennis exhibition match could be there."