The 26-year-old hadn’t enjoyed the best of starts to his 2025 ATP clay season, winning just three matches across the Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open tournaments.
Turning up to Madrid with a 3-2 record on clay for the season, Ruud quickly adapted to the tricky conditions, picking up several impressive wins.
Taking down Arthur Rinderknech, Sebastian Korda, and Taylor Fritz in straight sets, the Norwegian eased into the quarterfinals.