Jack Draper 'hurt' by dramatic three-set defeat to Casper Ruud in hard-fought Madrid Open final ahead of French Open 2025

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There was no glory for Britain's Jack Draper in the Madrid Open final as he fell to defeat against Casper Ruud. Draper admitted after his three-set loss that the outcome was "brutal", while 26-year-old Ruud acknowledged the significance of his first-ever ATP Masters title. "It's been a long time coming," the Norwegian, who has won 12 titles on clay, said.

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British No. 1 Jack Draper missed out on a career first clay-court title after a 7-5 3-6 6-4 defeat to Casper Ruud.

It was a first-ever ATP Masters event success for Norwegian Ruud and a 12th title on clay.

With the Italian Open to come and the French Open later this month - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - Britain's Draper was left disappointed in the Spanish capital.

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"Firstly, congratulations to Casper on this win, you really deserve it," he said in his post-match interview. "You were braver than me in the key moments. Congratulations to you and your team for all the hard work.

"This loss hurts but I also want to thank my own team, my family for all of the support. And thank you for all the fans who come out here to support us. It means so much to all of us who love tennis and love playing in front of you.

"This sport is brutal, but I will keep trying. I think this loss will make me better."

Things began promisingly for Draper, who was the first to break his opponent's serve and established a 5-3 lead in an engrossing opening set.

But Draper let his lead slip, allowing Ruud back into the set as the momentum shifted. The latter won four successive games to take a first set that had seemed likely to go the other way.

There was no drop in confidence from Draper, though, who responded well to the setback.

Ruud matched the Brit early in the second, but Draper reeled off four games in a row to take the set and level the match.

The decider was tense and undulating, with both players saving break points. But it was Ruud who made the breakthrough at 2-2, breaking Draper's serve and taking command of the decisive set. His impressive striking from the baseline proved the difference, and the more experienced player prevailed.

"It feels great, of course," Ruud said. "It's been a long time coming, this is a really big goal that I have dreamed about since I was so young.

"It was a great match. I knew that Jack has been playing so well all year, so I knew I had to bring my A+ game. Jack is an incredible player. He’s won titles on every surface except [clay], and he’s already made finals here in Madrid. So it’s an incredible year he is having.

"This is a really big boost for me, and I would like to keep it going. I owe a lot of my success to my family, my coaches, my friends. I'm surrounded by amazing people, I'm a very lucky guy."

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