Casper Ruud Hopes To Draw On Rafael Nadal’s Lessons Ahead of Madrid Open Title Defense

Casper Ruud returns to the Madrid Open with a clear goal of defending the biggest title of his career. The Norwegian star arrives in the Spanish capital with renewed perspective about the game after preparing alongside the clay-court legend Rafael Nadal at his academy in Mallorca, Spain.

Just like former WTA No.1 Iga Swiatek, Ruud traveled to the Rafael Nadal Academy to prepare for the Madrid Open. The World No.15 has not had a great start to the season, and he’s still seeking his first title of the year. Ruud is known to play his best on clay, having won 12 of his 14 tour-level titles on the surface.

However, he was seen as a dark horse at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he reached the final in 2024. He won his first two opening matches before sustaining an injury during his round of 16 clash against Felix Auger-Aliassime and was forced to retire while trailing 5-7, 2-2 after over an hour on the Country Club court.

Ruud arrives in Madrid needing to confirm both his physical condition and competitive rhythm. Having trained with Nadal at his academy, fans will expect a major improvement in his game and form, but being ranked outside the Top 10 means he will face top players early at the tournament.

Besides that, Swiatek, who trained with Nadal recently, has admitted that she doesn’t expect a sudden improvement in her performance on the court, but the same cannot be said for Ruud, who needs to reach the later stages of the Madrid Open; if not, he might drop out of the top 20. During his interview with ATP, Ruud revealed what Nadal told him in Mallorca:

Rafa has encouraged me to carry on and give my best. You can’t ask any more of a player. Rafa has won so many big titles on clay, I could never compare myself to him. He’s in a league of his own on this surface. If there’s one thing you can learn from him, it’s determination. He never gave up, and he was able to win many matches without being at his best because he was so well prepared physically and mentally.

Ruud claimed the Madrid Open last year after beating Jack Draper in the final of the tournament. He defeated Taylor Fritz in the fourth round, Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals, and Francisco Cerundolo in the semi-finals. The championship title was his first ATP Masters 1000 crown of his career.

Casper Ruud says it’s sad that Carlos Alcaraz skipped the Madrid Open due to injury

Two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud won the Madrid Open last season without much sweat as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz were not in the draw. Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament due to an injury he sustained at the Barcelona Open, while Sinner was still serving his three-month suspension.

This season is completely different. Sinner is in the draw and will play in the tournament, but Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have withdrawn from the Madrid Open. During the aforementioned interview, Ruud revealed that it is sad seeing Alcaraz and Djokovic withdraw from the event, but believes that there are still plenty of star players to shine at the event:

It’s sad that Carlos [Alcaraz] and Novak [Djokovic] aren’t here, but plenty of players are coming into the tournament in good form. Jannik [Sinner] is here and could achieve something historic if he wins, Arthur Fils is coming off a win in Barcelona. There’s also a young Spaniard, Rafael Jodar, he’s a fantastic player and will be a big name in the future. There are plenty of players to enjoy.

In Madrid, Sinner has one of the worst records among other tournaments. The Italian star has won just five of his eight matches at the tournament and has reached the quarter-finals just once in his career. The last time he featured at the Madrid Open was in 2024, and he reached the quarter-finals before pulling out due to injury.

Also Read: Alexandra Eala Reveals the Greatest Advice Given to her by Rafael Nadal

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