Our one full day in Madrid was all about tennis!
The morning security line was long, but moved relatively quickly. Staff was very strict on no water bottles and we saw a growing pile of fancy containers near the gate entrance. Two security guards had a conversation about my camera, but thankfully they let me go through.
Each of the three main courts are accessed from a large covered atrium. Oddly, we were required to have our ticket scanned out each time we left our seats. Alcohol was supposedly forbidden inside the venue but by the afternoon we saw people openly posing with glasses of champagne, so at some point security got lax.
The air temperatures were cool, in the low 60s… unless you were in the sun. Despite Leandra’s best efforts to research the stadium layout, our seats were in the sun most of the day, which was very intense in the morning. Thankfully we brought sunblock! We also used our layers to provide some shade, and took a break after the Jabeur v Ostepenko match to cool off and get an over-priced 2.50€ can of spring water. Later we refilled the cup in the bathroom, ha.
The Świątek v Sorribes Tormo match was more fun to watch than the 6-1, 6-0 final score indicated, but Iga still dominated and it was fun to watch her amazing footwork in person.
We had a few hours before Rafael Nadal’s match started so we split a sandwich for 6,50€ (quite meh) and explored the compact practice / doubles courts area before a rain shower came through.
Taylor Fritz and Stefano Tsitsipas warming up
Given the rain and the now cooler air winds, we stopped into the Estrella beer tent to find a place to sit and split a toasted double. Much more comfortable than sitting in the other areas under the stadium.
The main stadium had a palpable buzz as the roof was reopened just before the match started, and the crowd erupted in cheers when Nadal entered. Our seats were now in the shade but with the cloud cover and wind, the temps got quite chilly toward the end – we both used all our layers, including our jackets. Throughout the match, the crowd energy was electric, and we got to witness Rafa’s last win in Madrid!
Pedro Cachín put up a good fight, and we were pretty emotionally exhausted after these three thrilling sets!
The Madrid Open was fun to attend, but I don’t feel it was particularly well-run – the ban on water bottles and lack of free water is obnoxious, the food was disappointing for a city with so many great options, and it was difficult to experience the side courts.