Great Britain's Jack Draper agonisingly missed out on a first ATP Tour title on clay as Casper Ruud triumphed in an epic three-set Madrid Open final.
Indian Wells Masters champion Draper - seeking a second ATP 1000 crown of the year after prevailing in California - fought back in the second set to take the contest all the way in what was his maiden top-level final on the red dirt.
However, the British number one fell to the might of the two-time Roland-Garros runner-up in the decider, as Ruud clinched a 7-5 3-6 6-4 victory at the end of a two-hour and 29-minute battle.
In the presence of Brazilian football legend Ronaldo and Atletico Madrid and Norway striker Alexander Sorloth, Ruud became a Masters champion for the first time - having lost his first two finals at the 2022 Miami Open and last year's Monte-Carlo Masters - and took home a 13th ATP Tour title overall.
The 26-year-old has also become the first player from his nation to clinch an ATP 1000 crown since the format was introduced in 1990, while Draper's wait for an inaugural ATP Tour title on clay continues.
Ruud had slipped to world number 15 before the tournament began, but the Scandinavian sensation will now return to the top 10 of the ATP Rankings, rising to seventh in the world while Draper overtakes Novak Djokovic to rise to fifth place.
How Ruud outgunned Draper to take home Madrid Open title
What a moment for Casper Ruud as he wins his first Masters 1000 title 🤩
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) May 4, 2025
Watch with NOW: https://t.co/IJEuV2jgro pic.twitter.com/wSZzPqrxxh
Those lucky enough to take a seat at the Manolo Santana Stadium witnessed two-and-a-half hours of tremendous athleticism between two fierce competitors, who served up a final that lived up to the pre-match hype.
Ruud's deep returning positions stifled Draper's venomous serving game; the Briton still managed six aces, but his Norwegian foe struck nine to make up for the seven double faults he also registered during the final.
Two of those double faults in quick succession gave Draper his first break of the match in the third game, but Ruud bit back when the Briton was serving for the set and won four games on the spin to move into the ascendancy.
However, thanks to a spate of unforced errors from the Scandinavian in the second set, it was soon Draper's turn to win four in a row and level the match, but Ruud drew first blood in the winner-takes-all set with a critical break for a 3-2 lead.
The Norwegian survived one scare at 30-30 on serve to see out his first-ever Masters triumph, clinching the title with two wonderful forehands on his two final points and ending the evening with 40 winners in total.
Ben Knapton
