Jack Draper`s bid for a second Masters 1000 title and his first ATP crown on clay was unsuccessful, as he was defeated in a hard-fought three-set match by two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud at the Madrid Open.
Ruud emerged victorious with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 scoreline in a demanding contest that lasted nearly two and a half hours. This triumph secured his maiden Masters 1000 title after previous final appearances in Miami in 2022 (losing to Carlos Alcaraz) and Monte Carlo last year (defeated by Stefanos Tsitsipas).
British number one Draper, who won the Indian Wells title in March, held a 5-3 lead in the opening set. However, he then lost four consecutive games, showing visible frustration at surrendering such a strong advantage.
He regrouped effectively in the second set, breaking Ruud`s serve at 3-3 and then successfully holding his own serve after facing two break points in the subsequent game.
The deciding third set saw both players create opportunities for a break early on. It was the Norwegian, Ruud, who eventually capitalized, breaking Draper at 2-2. Despite some tense moments later in the set, Ruud sealed the victory by holding serve to love, highlighted by a series of powerful forehand shots.
Had Draper won the final, he would have been just 25 points shy of world number four Taylor Fritz in the official ATP rankings.
Nevertheless, the 23-year-old was already guaranteed to overtake Novak Djokovic and enter the world`s top five for the first time after his quarter-final victory against Matteo Arnaldi in Madrid.
Despite this loss to Ruud, his strong performance in Madrid, where he advanced beyond the quarter-finals of a clay event for the first time, suggests he is a promising contender for the French Open at Roland-Garros, scheduled from May 25 to June 8, an event where he previously lost in the first round.
Draper: Brutal Loss Will Make Me Better
Draper, who had not dropped a single set throughout the week before facing Ruud in the final, reflected on the match afterwards.
He stated: “He [Casper] was braver than me in the key moments.”
“This sport is brutal but I will keep trying,” he added. “I think this loss will make me better.”
Ruud, who re-enters the world`s top 10 after previously reaching a career-high of world number 2, expressed his delight at the victory: “It feels great, of course.”
“It`s been a long time coming. This is a really big goal that I have dreamed about since I was so young,” he commented.
He also praised his opponent, saying: “It was a great match, I knew that Jack has been playing so well all year, so I knew I had to bring my A+ game. He is an incredible player.”
Ruud and Draper Head to Italy; Sinner Returns
Both Draper and Ruud are set to compete next week at the Italian Open in Rome. The tournament will notably feature the return of world number one Jannik Sinner.
Novak Djokovic, currently out of form, has withdrawn from the Rome event, while Carlos Alcaraz is expected to make a late decision regarding his participation as he recovers from the muscle injury that kept him out of Madrid.
