Sixteen years ago a wide-eyed young Norwegian visited the Caja Magica to enjoy the best tennis in the world. It was 2009, the first year the tournament was held in the Caja Magica, when Roger Federer would win his second Mutua Madrid Open in a final against Rafa Nadal. Seven years later that boy, who came to watch the tennis with his grandmother to celebrate his tenth birthday, would join the academy of the Spanish legend, one of his biggest idols. On Sunday, now 26 years old, he finally took the step forward his career needed. That kid who came to marvel at the legends of the sport all those years ago has now etched his name alongside theirs on the trophy. Casper Ruud is the champion of the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open, and he is finally a Masters 1000 winner.
“My grandmother gave me a trip to anywhere in Europe for my 10th birthday. I said I wanted to watch tennis, and Madrid was a good option. I think it was the first year it was played in the Caja Magica. I have relatives who lived in Madrid, so we stayed with them and came for two days to watch the tennis. I remember I got Novak’s autograph, and I watched Rafa and Roger and Soderling, who’s Swedish, of course. I also saw Tommy Haas practising. I loved every minute watching the players play, with my grandmother. She has a photo of me and you can see the excitement on my face. It’s incredible, it’s a dream come true to have this trophy here”, explained Ruud.
There was an underlying feeling that tennis owed the Norwegian something like this. Three finals in Grand Slams, two at Masters 1000s and one at the ATP Finals, all without reward. He deserved it because of his game, his grit, his perseverance, and his class. In the trophy ceremony he told his team: “It’s incredible, we’ve tried, we’ve failed, but we’ve kept on working”. Nobody epitomises ethics like Casper. As is often the case in tennis, his victory finally came when it was least expected: “I feel like it’s a bit ironic to win this year because I haven’t had the best results, but I’ve finally got the title”, concluded Ruud.
The Oslo native is happy to take any positives that come his way: “My career is better than I could have imagined, I’ve been in incredible finals on spectacular stages and although I don’t have a great record in finals, I haven’t given up and I’ve kept working and I’ll keep doing so every day. I’m finally a champion”.
“And nothing more…” , the Scandinavian wrote on the camera in Spanish just seconds after he had closed out his victory. The phrase is taken from Real Madrid’s anthem, but it is also a reflection of the relief he felt when he won the tournament. His celebration was not over the top, it would have been out of character, but the overwhelming emotion he transmitted was relief. He has finally got that monkey off of his back.
Ruud was also full of praise for his opponent in Madrid this evening: “Jack what a player you are, you’re brilliant. You’re working hard, it’s a pleasure to watch you play and you can play on all surfaces. You barely have any weaknesses in your game. You will enjoy many victories”.
Andre Agassi, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Marat Safin, Rafa Nadal, David Nalbandian, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev are now joined by the Norwegian in the winners’ circle in the Caja Magica. He is the twelfth apostle of Madrid. Moreover, perhaps Ruud’s achievement today will be the springboard he has been looking for to propel him into the Grand Slams.
In twelve months, the best tennis in the world will be back in Madrid. If you come to the Caja Magica, keep your eyes peeled because who knows, you might just be sitting next to a future champion of the Mutua Madrid Open.
