The athletic complex, defined by Ruiz-Gallardón as "the best tennis facilities in Spain, in Europe and probably in most of the world", is set up around two buildings, la Caja Mágica and Tennis Indoor. There are three stadiums that offer the special features of rock-back roofs, which can be retracted to open up the entire area of play, and an array of seating capacities that run from 12,000 seats in the biggest stadium to 3,750 and 2,600 seats in the two smaller stadiums. Because the roofs can be closed, three games can be played at the same time even if it rains. La Caja Mágica also contains a player and referee area, a press area, a restaurant area and a zone for the general public. The Tennis Indoor building includes 11 indoor courts. It's a multi-purpose building as well, with an athletic club, a gym, a spa, a restaurant and an office area, not to mention the 16 outdoor courts and the parking area.

This tennis centre offers the answer to a wide range of problems, including environmental friendliness and the need for top-level athletic facilities. Thanks to the role technology plays, the complex can respond to several different needs at the same time. On the roof of the Energy Plant, in the Tennis Indoor building, there are solar panels that power a renewable energy system. These panels heat the sanitary water and are plugged into the building's climate control system as well. The new centre's environmental commitment continues with a system of recycled water for filling the lake and watering the landscaped areas. In addition, 12,000 trees are going to be planted, mainly black and white poplars, weeping willows, fig trees, ash trees and birch trees, as well as ivy, while rushes and reeds will be planted in the wetlands surrounding the Ecological Lake.

Another plus la Caja Mágica brings the city is its location, in the San Fermín neighbourhood of Usera. This is on the banks of the Manzanares River, in an area that used to be an environmental problem area. It's now been greened and the natural ecosystem has been restored.

La Caja Mágica's opening was scheduled for the eve of the visit by the International Olympic Committee's Evaluation Commission, so the Commission members checking out Madrid as an Olympic candidate could "see the project on paper and see the reality first hand".

La Caja Mágica will have a deluxe coming-out event. From 8 to 17 May it will be hosting the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, the combined tennis extravaganza that, for the first time ever in Spain, will bring together the finest players in the ATP and the finest players in the WTA.

Caption: In the photographs, Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, regional President Esperanza Aguirre and Madrid Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón. The many other authorities attending also included the honorary chairman of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch.