All 10 of his previous career titles came at ATP 250s, and now he adds his first ATP 500 title to his trophy cabinet.
Casper Ruud Triumphs in Barcelona, Clinching His First Notable Crown
Despite participating in numerous significant finals throughout his career, Casper Ruud had faced heartbreak each time, falling just short of victory—until now.
The Norwegian has ascended to the pinnacle of his profession with a resounding victory at the Barcelona Open. On Sunday, Ruud outperformed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the ATP 500-level clay-court tournament, with a score of 7-5, 6-3. This triumph avenged his 6-1, 6-4 setback to Tsitsipas in the Monte Carlo championship just a week prior.
Prior to this victory, Ruud had accumulated 10 ATP 250 titles: Buenos Aires in 2020; Geneva, Bastad, Gstaad, Kitzbuhel, and San Diego in 2021; Buenos Aires, Geneva, and Gstaad in 2022; and Estoril in 2023.
However, in seven previous finals above the ATP 250 level, which included three Grand Slam finals, an ATP Finals final, two Masters 1000 finals (including Monte Carlo last week), and another ATP 500 final, Ruud had consistently finished as runner-up.