Casper Ruud’s title defence at the Madrid Open came to an end in the quarterfinals after falling to 21-year-old Alexander Blockx in straight sets.
Ruud, who clinched a maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in the Spanish capital last year, fell to Blockx 6-4, 6-4.
The Belgian has struggled to kick on since reaching the championship match at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals, which he lost against Learner Tien.
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Now, however, Blockx is enjoying the run of his life in Madrid, having beaten Felix Auger-Aliassime, Francisco Cerundolo and Ruud.
With his triumph over the Norwegian, the young star has just made history for his country on the ATP Tour.
Alexander Blockx achieves incredible feat after winning in Madrid
According to Opta Ace, Blockx is now the first Belgian to both defeat the defending champion and reach a maiden ATP semifinal at a Masters event since 1990.
Blockx is competing in just his fifth ATP Masters 1000 tournament, with his best previous result being a third round finish at the Monte-Carlo Masters earlier this month.
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He began his Madrid run with two comeback wins over Cristian Garin and Brandon Nakashima.
After that, Blockx earned a huge win over third seed, Auger-Aliassime, beating the Canadian in straight sets.
Blockx has since also beaten Cerundolo and Ruud without dropping a set, and is now one win away from his first ATP Masters 1000 final.
Alexander Blockx’s results on the ATP Tour this season
Blockx’s season started with a triumph at a Challenger event in Canberra, which he followed up by qualifying for a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open.
He was knocked out in the first round at Melbourne Park, and did not attempt to qualify for an ATP event until the Indian Wells Open after that.
After failing to make the main draw in either leg of the Sunshine Double, Blockx qualified for the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he reached the third round.
Blockx suffered a second-round exit in Munich to eventual champion Ben Shelton, but is now aiming to secure his first ATP title on one of the biggest stages in the sport.
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