Casper Ruud got back at Stefanos Tsitsipas by winning the Barcelona Open final without losing a set on Sunday. It’s his biggest win so far, especially after losing to Tsitsipas the week before in the Monte Carlo Masters final.
Ruud won 7-5, 6-3, securing his first title this season after losing in three other finals earlier.
“After waiting for so long, this victory feels special,” Ruud said after his win in Barcelona. “Losing in previous finals was tough and disappointing. Making it to a final is still a good achievement, but winning this one means a lot.”
Tsitsipas, ranked seventh, had a comfortable win in Monte Carlo, but this time Ruud turned the tables. He capitalized on three out of the six break points he earned.
“I’m thrilled to win in Barcelona, especially in front of a full stadium and on Rafa Nadal Court,” Ruud, ranked sixth, said. “It’s meaningful to me because I admired Nadal since childhood. I even came here at 13 to watch him and others play. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Ruud is now aiming for the French Open next month after finishing as the runner-up at Roland Garros last year. He’s lost in three Grand Slam finals so far.
The 25-year-old Norwegian ended Tsitsipas’s 10-match winning streak. Tsitsipas had a perfect record of 10-0 on clay this season and was aiming for his 12th career title. Tsitsipas had previously lost in all three of his Barcelona finals in 2018, 2021, and 2023.
This win marks Ruud’s 11th career title, with 10 of them on clay. His last victory was in Estoril in April 2023.
