Casper Ruud made history on Sunday by clinching his first Masters 1000 title at the Madrid Open. The 26-year-old Norwegian showcased his clay-court prowess in a thrilling 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Britain’s fifth seed Jack Draper in the final.
The 14th seed overcame a rib injury sustained in the semifinals and battled past Draper in a grueling match that highlighted his determination and resilience. Ruud, competing in his 18th clay-court final, had previously dispatched top players like Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, and Francisco Cerundolo en route to the championship match in the Spanish capital.
“It’s been a long time coming. I have been dreaming about this since I was young,” Ruud said during his on-court interview after the match. “I knew Jack was playing unbelievably, so I had to bring my A-plus game.”
Having reached three Grand Slam finals—including two at the French Open—and Masters 1000 final appearances in Miami and Monte-Carlo last year, Ruud finally seized his moment in Madrid.
The match began with Draper taking a 5-3 lead in the opening set, but Ruud staged an impressive comeback by winning four consecutive games and breaking Draper’s serve twice to claim the set 7-5.
In the second set, Draper fought back fiercely, holding serve to love to level at 3-3. He then broke Ruud twice, making only one unforced error, to force a deciding third set.
Despite Draper’s composed start in the final set, it was Ruud who took control, breaking the Briton to lead 3-2. He maintained his momentum and secured the title with a commanding hold to love.
While Draper, 23, may be disappointed with the loss, he is set to rise to a career-high world number five in the rankings on Monday, leaping over Novak Djokovic.
Ruud’s victory marks a significant milestone in his career and adds a prestigious Masters 1000 trophy to his growing list of achievements.
