Casper Ruud can now call himself an ATP Masters 1000 champion after winning the Madrid Open final against Jack Draper.
Ruud was full of praise for Draper after their Madrid Open final, in which the Norwegian beat the Briton 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
Draper was searching for his fourth ATP Tour title and first on clay, but was denied the success by now 13-time champion Ruud.
All but one of his career titles have arrived on clay, with the Norwegian now set to rise to seventh in the world rankings after his latest success.
It is, however, his first Madrid Open title, with the 26-year-old beating the 23-year-old after two hours and 29 minutes.
Rafael Nadal congratulates Casper Ruud after Madrid Open title
Legendary figure Rafael Nadal had been the dominant force at the tournament before his retirement, winning the title five times.
No ATP Tour player has more titles in the Spanish capital than the home favourite, who retired from tennis last year.
He is, however, clearly keeping tabs on the latest goings on in tennis, with Nadal now sharing his delight for Ruud.
Tagging the Madrid Open champion on X, he wrote: “Congratulations! So happy for you and your team! Well deserved!”
Casper Ruud’s Grand Slam final history as French Open nears
Just like Nadal did, Ruud has proven himself to be a formidable force on clay, with plenty more success likely to arrive for him on the surface in the coming years.
But his latest success comes at an important time in his career, with the Norwegian having been recently slipping down the world rankings.
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Loss | 2022 | French Open | Clay | Rafael Nadal | 3–6, 3–6, 0–6 |
| Loss | 2022 | US Open | Hard | Carlos Alcaraz | 4–6, 6–2, 6–7(1–7), 3–6 |
| Loss | 2023 | French Open | Clay | Novak Djokovic | 6–7(1–7), 3–6, 5–7 |
He should, however, gain huge confidence from his run in Madrid, which has arrived just before the Rome Masters.
And that, in turn, comes before the French Open, where Ruud lost both the 2022 and 2023 finals, the first of which came against Nadal.
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