Saturday at the Caja Mágica saw one of the most eagerly awaited moments before the main draw gets underway. Roger Federer had his first training session in Madrid, before a delirious crowd of fans who had gathered to watch the Swiss legend. There was a plethora of banners and plenty of cheers for one of the best-loved players at the Mutua Madrid Open.

In a long practice session that lasted two hours on court 14 with French player Jeremy Chardy, Roger was warmly received by the fans as he began to adapt to the Spanish clay. In preparation for his opener, the Swiss worked alongside Severin Luthi, as he focused on acclimatising to the conditions in the Caja Mágica.

The 17-time grand slam champion arrived late on Friday night and received a warm welcome from Manolo Santana at the airport. This will be his eleventh time playing in Madrid. The 2006, 2009 and 2012 champion and Basel native will be the third seed this season and will face Joao Sousa or Nicolas Mahut in his first match.