Daijiworld Media Network - Madrid
Madrid, May 5: Casper Ruud lifted his maiden Masters 1000 trophy at the Madrid Open on Sunday, overcoming Britain’s Jack Draper 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in a tightly contested final that lasted two hours and 29 minutes.
The victory marks a major breakthrough for the 26-year-old Norwegian, who had previously fallen short in Masters 1000 finals in Miami (2022) and Monte Carlo (2024). With this win, Ruud becomes the first Norwegian to win a Masters 1000 title, adding to his growing resume, which now includes 13 career titles and three Grand Slam final appearances.
Ruud, known for his dominance on clay, now leads all players in clay-court wins (125), finals (17), and titles (12) since 2020. Yet he entered the Madrid tournament under pressure, having posted underwhelming results in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, causing a drop to No. 15 in the ATP rankings.
His path to the title in Madrid was anything but easy. Ruud took down three Top 10 opponents—World No. 4 Taylor Fritz, No. 10 Daniil Medvedev, and No. 6 Draper—en route to claiming the trophy.
Speaking after the win, Ruud said, “It feels great, of course. This was one of the really big goals I dreamed about when I was young, so it’s an incredible feeling to accomplish it. Jack has been playing amazing all year, especially here, so I knew I had to bring my A-plus game.”
He also praised Draper, who despite the loss, will reach a career-high ATP ranking of World No. 5 on Monday. “He’s become an incredible player on every surface,” Ruud added.
Draper now holds a strong 19-5 record for the 2025 season and continues to rise as a formidable force on the ATP Tour.