Casper Ruud downs Draper to win Madrid Masters, the biggest title of his career
The Norwegian lifted his maiden Masters 1000 title
© Manu Fernandez/AP/SIPA
Casper Ruud defeated Jack Draper 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in the Madrid Masters final to win the biggest title of his career.
The current world No 14 will rise up to the world No 7 spot, a – potentially – crucial move, ahead of Roland-Garros.
Ruud had previously only made one Masters 1000 final, at the 2024 edition of the Monte-Carlo Masters, which he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The match
It was Draper who got off to the stronger start, breaking at 1-1 on the first time of asking. Both would hold with ease, until the Brit attempted to serve for the first set at 5-4 – a test which he failed.
Ruud would score another crucial break whilst leading 6-5, finishing the set by reeling off the last four games to claim it 7-5.
At 3-3 in the second set, Draper took advantage of a few shorter shots from the Norwegian and hit a fabulous forehand down the line to break Ruud.
However, in the next game, the Brit made a horrendous forehand unforced error to set up two break back points for the world No 15 – but did well to save both with excellent smashes, holding with a winner of his own.
Ultimately, a forehand unforced error would be fatal for the three-time Grand Slam finalist, with Draper winning the second set 6-3, having committed only one unforced error compared to Ruud’s 14.
The third set witnessed both having to save multiple break points in their early service games, before the breakthrough was made by Ruud, breaking for a 3-2 lead. At 4-2, the Norwegian was one point away from a double break, but was unable to capitialise.
Both continued to hold from there, with Ruud sealing the final with a huge forehand, which the Brit was unable to return, to claim the biggest title of his career.
Ruud: This is a really big boost for me
“It feels great, it’s been a long time coming,” stated Ruud, during his on-court interview.
“It’s something, one really big goal, that I dreamed about since I was young, so it’s a great feeling to accomplish it. The way I did it today, I knew that Jack [Draper] had been playing incredible all year, and especially this tournament, so I knew that if I don’t bring my A+ game I would be whooped around the court.
“Luckily, I played really well and Jack has become an incredible player on everything surface, now, he’s won titles on every surface except from here [on clay], and he’s made the final here in Madrid. It’s an incredible year he’s having and this is a really good boost for me, and I hope that I can keep it going.”
[It was A] really big goal, that I dreamed about since I was young
Just a few weeks ago, after failing to defend his finalist points at the Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo, the Norwegian dropped out of the ATP’s top 10, and fell to his lowest ranking since July 2021. However, according to the newly-crowned Madrid champion, his team’s support was crucial.
“I owe a lot of my success to my closest ones, my family, my friends, my fiancé – Maria – we got engaged last year so she has been an incredible support for me over many years now, and she came yesterday to come and support, so maybe that was the last little push I needed to get over the finish line.
“So, I’m really happy and it’s great that I’m surrounded by amazing people and I’m a really lucky guy.”
Both are due to compete at the Rome Masters, the last Masters 1000 event before Roland-Garros.
