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Casper Ruud's thrilling victory in the men's singles final of the 2025 Madrid Open sparked reactions from Iga Swiatek, Boris Becker and Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs. Ruud defeated Jack Draper 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to win his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in the Spanish capital.
The Norwegian didn't get off to the best of starts, dropping serve as early as the first set's third game. However, the Brit's performance turned wayward later on in the set, and Ruud made the most of the opportunity to win it. Even though Draper raised his level to clinch the second set, ultimately, it was the three-time Major runner-up who came out on top in the decisive third set to become the new champion in Madrid.
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In the aftermath of the result, several high-profile names in tennis sent their congratulatory messages to Casper Ruud. Former WTA No. 1 and 2024 Madrid Open women's singles champion Iga Swiatek was one of them. The Pole took to her Instagram Stories and shared a post featuring a picture announcing the Norwegian as the new men's singles champion in the Spanish capital. Swiatek also added a caption of her own, writing:
"So so cool. Congrats @casperruud 👏🏼👏🏼"
Former ATP No. 1 and six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker not only congratulated Ruud, but also lauded Jack Draper's efforts on the clay courts of Madrid's Caja Magica.
"Casper did it!!! Holding his nerve playing a perfect last game and deservingly winning the @MutuaMadridOpen but also paying my respect to @jackdraper0 reaching the final playing scintillating tennis on his least favourite surface! Well done guys! @CasperRuud98," Becker wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Rennae Stubbs, a former top-ranked women's doubles star and the legendary Serena Williams' coach for the 2022 US Open, sent an encouraging message to Ruud, predicting a good run for the Norwegian at the upcoming French Open.
"Huge congratulations to Casper! Wow!! Terrific match. After such a tough year for his standards, this is a statement. French open runner up twice. Look out again for him in Paris," Stubbs wrote on X.
Arguably the most special congratulatory message to Ruud came from none other than the Norwegian's idol himself, Rafael Nadal.
"Well deserved" - Rafael Nadal to Casper Ruud after Norwegian's Madrid Open title triumph
Casper Ruud was inspired to pursue tennis after seeing Rafael Nadal in action in the 2000s. The Norwegian went on to develop a close friendship with the Spaniard, who informally mentored Ruud and even trained with him at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy.
Following Ruud's 2025 Madrid Open success, the former No. 1 opined his lifelong fan's achievement in the Spanish capital was a deserving one. Nadal wrote on X:
"👏🏻 @CasperRuud98 👏🏻 Congratulations! So happy for you and your team! Well deserved! 😃💪🏼"
The Spaniard himself won the Madrid Open title on five occasions in his playing days, which continues to remain a record.
