Ahead of the 2024 Madrid Open, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and Iga Swiatek attended the La Liga game between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday.
Real Madrid secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Barcelona in the latest El Clasico clash. With this win, they extended their lead at the top of La Liga to 11 points (Barcelona are second) with only six matches left in the season.
The crucial win essentially dashed Barcelona's hopes of catching up in the title race and reclaiming the La Liga trophy they had snatched from Real Madrid last season.
The match started with Barcelona's Andreas Christensen scoring a goal in the sixth minute. Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior equalized with a penalty (18').
Barca regained the lead through Fermin Lopez in the 69th minute, but Madrid's Lucas Vazquez quickly responded to level the score once again (73'). The game was ultimately decided by Jude Bellingham's stoppage-time winner, propelling Real Madrid closer to their record-extending 36th La Liga crown.
Tennis stars Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and Iga Swiatek were present at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu to witness the thrilling encounter. La Liga's official social media account shared photos of Nadal and Alcaraz enjoying the match.
Swiatek also took to social media to post a picture of herself enjoying the game with her physiotherapist Maciej Ryszczuk. She expressed her gratitude to the Polish drinks brand Oshee, of which she is a global ambassador, for inviting them to the match.
"El Clasico @realmadrid. Thanks a lot for this experience @OSHEE_OFFICIAL #halamadrid," Iga Swiatek posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Carlos Alcaraz set for title defense, Iga Swiatek seeded first at Madrid Open 2024; Rafael Nadal makes potential final appearance
Carlos Alcaraz will defend his title at the 2024 Madrid Open. Last year's runner-up Iga Swiatek is seeded first in the tournament. Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal may make his final appearance on the red clay in Madrid.
Last year, two-time defending champion Alcaraz defeated Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals and Borna Coric in the semifinals to advance to the final. In the championship match, the Spaniard overcame German lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to successfully defend his title, claim his 10th tour-level title, and secure his fourth ATP Masters 1000 title.
On the other hand, Swiatek triumphed over Petra Martic in the quarterfinals and Veronika Kudermetova in the semifinals to reach the final. However, her winning streak was halted by Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated her 3-6, 6-3, 3-6 in the championship match.
This year, Iga Swiatek is the top seed and will kick off her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She is slated to face either Wang Xiyu or Ana Bogdan in the second round, with a potential matchup against Elina Svitolina or Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round.
As for Rafael Nadal, this year's Madrid Open could see him making his final appearance at the tournament. He has clinched the Madrid title a record five times, with his last title win coming in 2017 after he defeated Dominic Thiem in the final.
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