The Mutua Madrid Open is the largest public return event in professional sports to date in Spain, after some more modest experiences, in Marbella and Barcelona, two tennis tournaments, which had 500 and a thousand spectators per session, respectively. The 1,000 Masters of the capital allows 40% of its usual capacity, which means that some 5,000 people can get to live together in the Caja Mágica.
The electronic tickets are almost all sold and today, with the Nadal-Alcaraz, the first strong point of expectation will be reached. “We must be exemplary. We are lucky to do it, but also a lot of responsibility”the commercial director of the Madrid tournament, Javier Burgos, told EFE.
The feeling is safe, without crowds at the entrance, where the temperature is taken, nor noise in common areas, beyond some queue on the outer slopes, and there is little restoration and with social distance. Seats were closed in the stands, only two people can sit together, except in the boxes, and 15 minutes before curfew, at 10:45 p.m., they are evicted. The measures, of course, reduce the impact on the Madrid economy, which used to be greater than 100 million euros. But the atmosphere, the applause, the spirits and the joy have returned.