Norwegian tennis star Casper Ruud is known as a clay court expert, and the former World No.2 has accomplished an impressive feat on the red dirt after reaching the final at the 2025 Madrid Open.
The three-time Grand Slam finalist defeated Argentine Francisco Cerundolo in the semifinals of the Madrid Open on Friday, booking his spot in Sunday's final. Ruud will take on rising British star Jack Draper, who defeated the in-form Lorenzo Musetti in the day's other semifinal.
Ruud racking up the wins on clay
By virtue of his semifinal win on Friday, Ruud has now reached 18 ATP Tour level finals on clay. This puts him at second place on the list of active players with the most finals on clay, behind 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. The Serbian sits at the top of the list, with an impressive 34 ATP finals played on clay.
There is a three-way tie for third place. Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka shares this position with former World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz and Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev at 14 ATP Tour finals on clay. Alcaraz was forced to withdraw from the Madrid Open due to injury, whereas Zverev suffered a round of 16 loss to Francisco Cerundolo in Madrid. The German had just won the Munich title on clay in front of his home crowd two weeks ago.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- After a couple decades traveling to IIHF tourneys overseas... our family is done with it... and I will not be the only one!! Bad enough the NHL allows Ovachenko (a Putin Supporter and Campaigner) to live and play in the USA. Let's not forget the STATE SPONSORED RUSSIAN DOPING PROGRAMS still in effect today.
mandoist31-10-2026 - Osaka's mental state apparently does not allow her to reach any more Quarter Finals? I mean, she doesn't really have the time for tennis with all the pre-planning that must go into her 12 year-old "fashion" goals.mandoist29-10-2026
- With her money one would think she could afford a better team of Psychiatrists?mandoist29-10-2026
- Boss move, Sinner !Rapunzel27-10-2026
- Apparently still refusing to seek 'help' ...and still playing Dress-Up like a 10 year-old.mandoist27-10-2026
- Lena... Takin' care of businessmandoist25-10-2026
- Can you please stop publishing this nonsense? Stick to Tennis.mandoist25-10-2026
- Does Sinner need that 4.5 mil? I doubt it. He can make that with three modelling gigs!😅🤣Rapunzel21-10-2026
- Did "People Magazine" purchase this website? This nonstop storyline is bullshit.mandoist21-10-2026
- Listen... this is of no concern to anyone but these two. Deal with your own issues -- most of us have our own. Thanks, media, for these insignificant follow-ups which are meaningless.mandoist21-10-2026
