Casper Ruud achieved tennis history on Sunday, becoming the first Norwegian to ever claim a Masters 1000 title. The 26-year-old athlete fought off a rib injury sustained during his semi-final bout. He did assail the challenge of Jack Draper, claiming a tense tussle 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in the Spanish capital. This victory represents the biggest moment of Ruud’s career. It launches him back into the ATP top 10 rankings, just in time for the Roland Garros tournament, which kicks off on May 25.
With Ruud’s victory in Madrid, the pendulum swung in a big way. It released him from a difficult hoodoo, breaking six consecutive defeats in all of tennis’s big finals. He suffered back-to-back high-stakes upsets at the 2022 French Open and U.S. Open. Plus, he faltered in the Roland Garros championship match two summers ago. With this title now under his belt, Ruud surely fortified his standing and seeding. From that mortifying moment, he is now launching himself into the year’s second Grand Slam with a new surge of confidence.
The Norwegian, one of the most mentally tough players on tour, lived that trait at this year’s Madrid Open. He did thrive in his physical comeback and his mental approach. Ruud has been the standout performer on the clay thus far. No wonder the Australian continues to win more tour-level matches and titles on this surface than any other player since 2020. His triumph in Madrid continues to establish him as a real threat on the clay courts.
He spoke to us about how significant this win has been for him, restoring confidence.
“A win here shows the other players that I’m here to try to do well for the rest of the clay season,” – Casper Ruud
Ruud picked out all the good memories he will take with him to Paris.
“With this win, I put myself back in a good position when it comes to ranking and seeding,” – Casper Ruud
Ruud also highlighted the positive memories he will carry into Paris.
“But it’s a good step forward, and when I come to Paris, I’ll always have great feeling and memories from the place. I’m a good clay court player and in best-of-five sets I’ll be even tougher to beat, that’s my mentality.” – Casper Ruud
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