Draper falls short in Madrid final as Ruud claims maiden masters 1000 title

British number one Jack Draper was denied a second consecutive Masters 1000 title and his first-ever ATP trophy on clay after a hard-fought loss to Norway’s Casper Ruud in the Madrid Open final on Sunday.

In a gruelling match that lasted nearly two and a half hours, Ruud outlasted Draper 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to secure his first Masters 1000 title, finally triumphing at the third time of asking after previous final defeats in Miami (2022) and Monte Carlo (2023).

Despite the defeat, the 22-year-old Draper delivered an impressive campaign in Madrid, reaching his first clay court final at tour level. His breakthrough performance will see him climb to a career-high world ranking of No. 5.

Ruud, a two-time French Open finalist, now heads into the clay season with renewed confidence, while Draper continues to establish himself as one of the most promising young talents on the ATP Tour.