The Norwegian won his 5th career trophy in Kitzbuhel and 4th overall in 2021. All of his titles came on clay and the Norwegian is slowly emerging as one of the premier clay performers on the tour. After the match Ruud said:
“I am shaking all over my body. It feels amazing. I was very nervous at the end, I knew what I was playing for. Three in a row is something special. What a day to play the final, rain on and off all day. I’m just very excited and happy that these three weeks are over, and that I won all of them.”
It was not an easy match for Ruud who won the first set before rain paused the match for half the day. Once the players returned Martinez won the 2nd set and forced a decider. On the roller coaster Ruud said:
"It was tough... we know that the weather was a bit shaky so I was prepared [for the delay]. It was a bit long there in the end. We came back, only played three games, and then we had to stop again. It was a bit annoying, but we had to keep the focus and try your best. It's the same for the opponent."
By winning three trophies in three consecutive weeks Ruud matched Andy Murray and his achievement from 2011 becoming the first to do it since then.