Iga Swiatek touched by Casper Ruud's encouraging message after Madrid Open heartbreak

Iga Swiatek responded to Casper Ruud's kind words ahead of her 2025 Italian Open title defense. The Pole suffered a heartbreaking exit at the Madrid Open, where she was the defending champion.

Swiatek suffered a disappointing 1-6, 1-6 defeat to Coco Gauff in the semifinals of the 2025 Madrid Open. However, during the match, there was an unfortunate moment for the Pole, who broke down and was in visible distress. Looking at her condition, Ruud sent some words of encouragement to cheer the five-time Grand Slam champion up.

"Hey @iga_swiatek keep your head up🙏🙏 Like millions of other people I love watching you play. Not your day today, but you inspire so many and you’ll be back stronger than ever!!😊🤩👏🎾," he posted on X.

While speaking to the media ahead of her Italian Open defense, Swiatek was asked about the Norwegian's kind words, to which she responded by showering Ruud with praise. She also said that his words lifted her spirits. It is worth noting that both players share great camaraderie.

"Yeah, I think Casper is one of the nicest people on tour. He's so humble and respectful, and he's a true gentleman, so I'm happy he wrote that because, for sure, it was one of the messages that got my spirits a little bit up after the loss."

Continuing her thoughts, Iga Swiatek exhibited confidence in her game and hoped a triumph would soon be coming her way.

"But overall, I know that I'm good. I feel good. So, I'll just continue the work I've been doing on court and hopefully some wins are gonna come, but overall, I'm playing pretty Coniston week by week, so I'm also happy with that. But the ambitions are high for sure."

Though Swiatek couldn't successfully defend her Madrid Open title, Ruud defeated Jack Draper 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to win the maiden Masters 1000 title of his career in Madrid. Both players will compete at the Italian Open next.

Both Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud will compete at the Italian Open 2025 next

Iga Swiatek - Source: Getty

Iga Swiatek will kick off her title defense at the 2025 Italian Open next. She will receive a bye into the second round due to her seeding and will begin her campaign against the winner of the clash between Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Elina Avanesyan.

Meanwhile, Casper Ruud will look to continue his good form at the Italian Open, where he is seeded sixth. He will kick off his campaign against the winner of the fixture between Alexander Bublik and Roman Safiullin.