WTA Tour players have flocked to the Madrid Open ahead of the start of the tournament on the 21st April.
Aryna Sabalenka is looking to win her fourth Madrid Open title in her first tournament since her Miami Open success.
Alexandra Eala, meanwhile, is looking to kickstart her clay court season after middling performances in Linz and Stuttgart so far.
The two players have been practising with the same hitting partner as they prepare for the first clay court Masters tournament of the year.
Alexandra Eala and Aryna Sabalenka start their Madrid preparations
Eala and Sabalenka have been practising with Iva Jovic just days before the Madrid Open is set to get underway.
The Filipina star practised with the talented American teenager on Sunday, 19th April, while Sabalenka hit with Jovic a day later.
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Jovic shares history with both players already this year as she has truly joined the elite of the WTA Tour in 2026.
The American partnered with Eala at the ASB Classic at the start of the year as they reached the semi-finals of the Auckland event.
Jovic and Sabalenka, meanwhile, met for the first time in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, which the world number one won in straight sets.
Aryna Sabalenka and Alexandra Eala learn their fate in Madrid
The draw has been made for the 2026 Madrid Open and Eala and Sabalenka now know what they need to do at the Masters event.
Sabalenka has received a bye into the second round thanks to seeded entry and she will await the first round winner of Peyton Steans and Lois Boisson.
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The world number one has also been drawn in the same section of the draw as Naomi Osaka, Marie Bouzková, and Jaqueline Cristian.
Eala, meanwhile, is still waiting to find out who she will play in the first round of the Madrid Open.
The 20-year-old has been drawn against a qualifier in round one, with Elise Mertens awaiting the winner in round two.
Eala has also been drawn in the same section of the draw as Amanda Anisimova, Cristina Bucsa, and Ekaterina Alexandrova.