They said he was not a big-match player. They said he crumbles when pressure ramps up. They said he doesn’t have the game to win the big tournaments. The cynics based their theories on the fact that he had lost all five of the big finals he had played, three in Grand Slams and two in Masters 1000s. However, sometimes patience is required to claim the biggest titles. You have to keep knocking at the door. You have to ignore the naysayers. And that is exactly what Casper Ruud has done.
The Norwegian, possibly when it was least expected, has produced the victory of his career at the Mutua Madrid Open, taking down Jack Draper in the men’s final on Sunday, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to finally claim his first Masters 1000 title, after those where he fell at the final hurdle in Miami in 2022 and Monte Carlo in 2024.
Ruud has more wins (125), finals (17) and titles (12) than any other player on clay since 2020. However, he arrived at this year’s Mutua Madrid Open with a question mark hanging over his form having bowed out in the last sixteen in Monte Carlo and the quarters in Barcelona, where he was the defending champion. Those results caused him to fall to 15th position in the ATP world rankings, meaning he came into the Caja Magica somewhat under the radar. But Ruud is Ruud and clay is his natural habitat. Little by little, the Rafa Nadal Academy player coached by Pedro Clar, worked his way through the rounds to earn a place in the final.
Casper did not have an easy draw, though. He toppled four seeds, including Taylor Fritz, the world No. 4, and Daniil Medvedev, No. 10. Moreover, in his semifinal against Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo, he had to undergo treatment from an ATP physio for a problem with his ribs. However, his fitness issues did nothing to stop him taking to the Manolo Santana Stadium on Sunday to defeat a Draper who enjoyed something of a breakthrough at the tournament. Despite his defeat in the final, he will climb to number five in the world on Monday.
“Draper’s level is difficult to improve on, he’s very fit, he’s improved his movement on clay and he’s played well in all his matches. He’s adapting so well to clay”, Feliciano López, the tournament’s director, said on Sunday. “As Ruud is a clay player and he’s used to the latter rounds, he might be the favourite. But I think the big moments are more important in tennis than history and players’ pasts. Jack Draper was the champion in Indian Wells and in Madrid he’s level is incredible. It will be a very open final”.
Feli was spot on: the final was wide open and the players put on a masterclass for the almost 12,500 people who filled out the Manolo Santana Stadium on Sunday evening.
Draper was the first player to take blood, with a break to take a 5-4 lead on his serve, which looked like it would be enough. However, Ruud was quick to respond, and he did so in style. He broke Draper twice on the trot to claim the first set and started the second with a hold on his serve and the Briton suddenly had a mountain to climb.
Draper had not played a third set all tournament. Now, if he wanted to get his hands on the trophy, he would have to fight back against a player who moves around the clay like no other. The Londoner did not shy away from the challenge. He claimed the second set, forcing a decider, much to the delight of the fans in the Caja Magica. However, when the chips were down, when it mattered most, Ruud prevailed. Say hello to our new champion. He now has 13 titles. He now has his first Masters 1000. His name is Casper Ruud.
