Casper Ruud will look to finally pick up his first Masters 1000 title when he takes on Jack Draper in the Madrid Open final.
The Norwegian star had struggled during the early stages of the 2025 clay-court season, failing to impress at the Monte-Carlo Masters or Barcelona Open.
Finding his form in the Spanish capital, Ruud produced two convincing wins over top American stars, Sebastian Korda and Taylor Fritz, on his way to the quarterfinals.
Securing his first career win against the world number ten, Ruud then beat Daniil Medvedev, setting up an intriguing semi-final clash with Francisco Cerundolo.
Overcoming injury and crowd disturbances, Ruud advanced to the final with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Cerundolo.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s final, one ATP Tour legend has shared why he is concerned for Ruud.
Andy Roddick is ‘worried’ Casper Ruud will struggle against Jack Draper’s ‘untouchable’ forehand in Madrid
Appearing as a guest on the Tennis Channel Live podcast, 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick looked ahead to the Madrid Open final.
“You are concerned any time someone is not feeling 100%,” said Roddick.
“But I am more concerned by what Jack Draper is bringing to the table and if he is able to hit that swinging serve out to Casper’s [Ruud] backhand.
“Casper has to step back, he is not the kind of guy that takes returns early and he’s feeding that backhand back into the middle of the court to Draper’s forehand, which is borderline untouchable right now.
“So I am more worried about that than Casper with a day of rest.”
Former doubles star Coco Vandeweghe weighed in on Ruud’s condition ahead of the final, and shared whether she was ‘concerned’ for the world number 15.
“It is always tricky when you are going into a final with an injury and Roland Garros coming quickly,” she said.
“You have to make those more career decisions of what is more important right now.
“I think he will be just fine, because the rib may be out of place, pop it back in, and you are good to go. If it were more muscular or structural, I would be more concerned. I think he will be fit and healthy.
“I just have a bit of concern, because he is going to be grinding and playing a lot of retriever balls.
“Draper is ripping the ball, and he is going to be playing defence, and that is going to require a lot more shots and more getting in and out of corners, so if it is a discussion, I think it only hurts Casper Ruud if he is coming in injured.”
Ruud and Draper are yet to face off on the ATP Tour, as they prepare to battle it out for the first time at the Madrid Open.
Casper Ruud’s record in ‘big’ ATP Tour finals
A perennial top ten contender, Ruud has appeared in his fair share of ‘big’ finals over the years, but has yet to come away with a title.
Until Ruud beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the 2024 Barcelona Open, he had failed to pick up a title above ATP 250 level, a remarkable record for someone of this quality.
| Tier | Final appearances | Finals record | Final winning % |
| ATP 250 | 15 | 11-4 | 73% |
| ATP 500 | 3 | 1-2 | 33% |
| Masters 1000 | 2 | 0-2 | 0% |
| ATP Finals | 1 | 0-1 | 0% |
| Grand Slam | 3 | 0-3 | 0% |
At the Masters 1000 level, Ruud has taken to the court for two previous finals, at the Miami Open in 2022 and at last year’s Monte-Carlo Masters.
The Norwegian failed to win a set on both occasions, as he failed to lift either trophy.
Ruud looked in great shape to win in the principality last year, having knocked out 24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, but couldn’t carry that form through to the final, as he lost to Tsitsipas, 1-6, 4-6.
His Madrid Open final opponent, Draper, won Indian Wells earlier this year, appearing in his first final above the ATP 500 level.
In total, the Brit has won three and lost three of his six tour-level finals, but unlike Ruud, is yet to lose a final in straight sets.
- 2023 Sofia Open – Jack Draper lost to Adrian Mannarino, 6-7, 6-2, 3-6
- 2024 Adelaide International – Jack Draper lost to Jiri Lehecka, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6
- 2024 Stuttgart Open – Jack Draper beat Matteo Berrettini, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4
- 2024 Vienna Open – Jack Draper beat Karen Khachanov, 6-4, 7-5
- 2025 Qatar Open – Jack Draper lost to Andrey Rublev, 5-7, 7-5, 1-6
- 2025 Indian Wells – Jack Draper beat Holger Rune, 6-2, 6-2
Draper will certainly hope to improve his finals record to 4-3 and prevent the Norwegian from picking up his maiden Masters title.
Ruud and Draper will take to the court for the 2025 Madrid Open final on Sunday, May 4.
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