In the San Fermín neighborhood, near the Manzanares River, is a multifunctional enclave that was created to impress the world during the Olympic Games. Its design is intended to host all kinds of sporting events in Madrid: from tennis championships to basketball competitions. Yes, we are talking about the Caja Mágica, which currently hosts the Mutua Madrid Open.
French architect Dominique Perrault – known for his remodeling work on the Piazza Garibaldi (Naples) – designed the space. The FCC Group was in charge of its construction, which was completed in the first four months of 2009.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, then Prime Minister, inaugurated the Magic Box together with Esperanza Aguirre, now former regional president, and Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, former mayor of Madrid, with the aim of making the capital an Olympic city in 2016. However, this never happened. Months after the inauguration, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided that Rio de Janeiro was the ideal candidate for that year.
Although Madrid was not chosen as Olympic capital – it has not received that honor since the 1990s – the Caja Mágica has been used for a multitude of sporting and musical events over the last decade. Tennis events stand out: the enclave has 11 indoor courts, 16 outdoor courts, a multi-purpose building with a sports club, gym, SPA, restaurant and an administrative area (as well as parking).
The enclave’s most important event in 2025
Between April 21 and May 4, the Caja Mágica will once again host an event that brings together the international tennis elite: the Mutua Madrid Open. This time 78 male players from the ATP Masters 1000 and 75 female players from the WTA 1000 series will compete. Alcaraz, Sabalenka, Djokovic and Swiatek are the most prominent names of the edition.