Casper Ruud finally holds his victory in a big tournament: the Norwegian, a double finalist at Roland-Garros, beat Briton Jack Draper 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in the final in Madrid on Sunday to win his first title in Masters 1000.
With this coronation, which intervenes three weeks from Roland-Garros, the 26-year-old Norwegian (15th) now has 13 titles to his record, including 12 on his favorite surface the clay.
So far, the former world No. 2, which will reintegrate the top 10 on Monday, was an unhappy finalist in the biggest events: Roland-Garros in 2022 and 2023, against Rafael Nadal then Novak Djokovic, but also in the finals of a third Grand Chelem, the US open in 2022, and two Masters 1000 in Miami in 2022 and 2024.
Son of Christian Ruud, a former 39th world, the Norwegian has Rafael Nadal’s youthful idol, whose humility he has always rented.
Humbles too, Casper Ruud is a discreet player, deep outside the courts, not hesitating to develop on his mental health problems, as this week in Madrid.
“I don’t want to go too much on the subject but I went through mental health problems this year. So I consulted a professional and that helped me a lot, “he said.
“A hamster in his wheel”
“I felt like a hamster in his wheel, constantly advancing. The current calendar prevents me from stopping, I needed to get out of this spiral and think about my life (…) I am back in the hamster wheel that the circuit imposes us, but with a much better mindset, “continued the Norwegian.
In the final in Madrid, Ruud played the feeling of this start to the season the powerful left -hander Jack Draper, winner at Indian Wells in March, who was playing his first final on clay and who will integrate the top 5 on Monday.
The two players each had an empty passage on Sunday. Draper the first: when serving for the set, the Briton chained direct faults, allowing Ruud to Débreaker and take the Channel.
More conquering, the 23 -year -old left -hander returned to the 2nd set, taking advantage of the Norwegian air hole. In the last set, Draper was on a thread and Ruud managed to Breaker at the end of his 5th attempt to lead 3-2 and spin towards victory, ending with a white game on his service.
The Madrid tournament was very open after the package of the world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz and early releases from Novak Djokovic, as soon as he entered the running, and the world No. 2 Alexander Zverev in eighths.
