Rafael Nadal and his sister Maribel send heartfelt congratulations to Casper Ruud after his Madrid Open triumph

Rafael Nadal and his sister, Maribel, recently extended their heartfelt congratulations to Casper Ruud for his title-winning run at the Madrid Open. For the Norwegian, this marks his first-ever Masters 1000 victory.

Ruud, who regularly trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy since 2018, took down some big names on his way to the win in Madrid. The 26-year-old's campaign at the event saw him beat Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, and Jack Draper en route to the top step of the podium.

Reacting to the Norwegian’s triumph, Rafael Nadal wrote on X,

“👏🏻 @CasperRuud98 👏🏻Congratulations! So happy for you and your team! Well deserved! 😃💪🏼.”

Both Nadal and his sister Maribel also extended their congratulations to the freshly crowned Masters 1000 champion on their Instagram stories. Sharing a shot of Ruud lifting the Madrid Open trophy, Nadal wrote,

“Congratulations @casperruud. Well deserved.”

Via @rafaelnadal on Instagram

Maribel penned a similar message for the the World No.15, writing,

“Congrats @casperruud. We'll deserved.”

Via @mariabel_nadal on Instagram

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Casper Ruud reflects on drawing inspiration from Rafael Nadal and training at his academy

Ruud and Nadal at an exhibition match (Image Source: Getty)

Casper Ruud hailed Rafael Nadal as his tennis idol from a young age. Recently, in a video, shared on the Rafa Nadal Academy’s Instagram page, the Norwegian revealed that his tennis journey began with watching the Spaniard dominate the court, saying,

“Rafa’s been, since I was four or five years old, my idol that I looked up to. Playing this tournament or winning Roland Garros or all the tournaments he won, when I was young, that was the kind of guy I watched play and was thinking ‘oh, I also want to be like him or play tennis like him’, so that's where it started for me.”

Ruud went on to praise the Nadal’s academy and it's facilities, saying,

“The academy is incredible in terms of facilities and everything they have there. As a player, whether you're a professional, if you're young and you dream about being a professional, or even if you're an adult and you're a hobby player, it's an amazing place to go to.”

Prior to Nadal's retirement, Casper Ruud got the chance to play his idol on court twice. The duo battled at the 2022 French Open finals and the 2022 ATP World Tour Finals group stage matches, with the Spaniard winning both games.