The Norwegian star hadn’t enjoyed the best of starts to his 2025 clay-court campaign, as Ruud failed to reach the last four at either the Monte-Carlo Masters or Barcelona Open.
Finding his footing in Madrid, Ruud secured several impressive wins in the Spanish capital.
In the quarterfinals, Ruud beat Daniil Medvedev for the first time in his career, before battling through injury and crowd disturbances to take down Francisco Cerundolo in the semis.
There, he came face to face with the in-form Jack Draper, but showed no fear, as Ruud clinched the Madrid Open title with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory.
Speaking after the match, Ruud shared his thoughts on his ATP Tour rival and admitted what the Brit did that troubled him during the second set.