“He’s inspired me a lot. Without him, it would be very difficult to be where I am today. I owe him a lot,” Casper Ruud reflected earlier this year, paying heartfelt tribute to his father, Christian Ruud. It’s easy to see why! Christian, a former Norwegian star, once reached the No. 39 position in the world rankings, represented Norway at three Olympic Games, clinched twelve Challenger titles, and even reached an ATP Tour final, proudly carrying his nation’s hopes. Like father, like son: Casper matched his father’s fourth-round run at the Australian Open in 2021, a touching full-circle moment. “He still likes to play rough with me,” Casper even joked. Now, as Christian enjoys retirement, his 26-year-old continues the family legacy, recently notching a memorable Madrid Open win over a member of the iconic Korda family!
Sunday, April 27th, delivered another whirlwind of emotions at the Mutua Madrid Open 2025. Casper Ruud lived up to his billing, dispatching Sebastian Korda with a commanding 6-3, 6-3 victory. The Norwegian fired three aces, won 73% of his 1st-serve points, and claimed 62 total points, showcasing trademark precision and poise.
As he storms into the R16, a special narrative continues to unfold: Ruud maintains the proud family tradition against the Korda clan. His father, Christian Ruud, once dominated the Kordas, and now Casper carries that legacy forward, savoring the joy of walking in his father’s celebrated footsteps.
Miami 1999: Christian Ruud d. Petr Korda
Madrid 2025: Casper Ruud d. Sebastian Korda@CasperRuud98 #MMOpen pic.twitter.com/RqIkyPIOMU
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 27, 2025
In his post-match interview, when Casper Ruud was reminded that his win over Sebastian mirrored his father’s success against the Korda family years ago, he shared a light-hearted yet meaningful reflection. “On this day, I thought he had lost to Petr before. So I thought about coming out tonight and seeking revenge for the family. But, this was even better statistics for us so we will try to keep it alive as long as possible but it’s a fun you know you see certain situations like this where father and son played before as well, there are still out there now, but I’m sure Seb and I have played so many times in our career and hopefully will try my best to keep him behind me but at some point I’m sure he will catch up get a win over the Ruud family,” Casper said.
Ruud Vs Korda clashes in Madrid carry a remarkable layer of history as these famous surnames first met 26 years ago! At the Miami Open in 1999, Christian Ruud and Petr Korda faced off, with Christian winning 6-2, 7-6. Fast forward to today, their sons, Casper Ruud and Sebastian Korda, finally played their first official match. They were actually supposed to meet earlier at the 2024 ATP Masters 1000 in Montreal, but Ruud withdrew before their R16 battle due to illness.
Now, with a dominating victory under his belt, Ruud marches into the R16 on Madrid clay, where he will face a fired-up Taylor Fritz. Reflecting on his season, the Norwegian shared his clay-court ambitions, emphasizing his ambition of making a deep run at Roland Garros and building steady momentum across the European swing.
“Quarterfinals in every tournament,” Casper Ruud opens up about his clay court plans
Casper Ruud’s 2025 season has been a rollercoaster ride. After a disappointing second-round exit at the AO, he showed flashes of resurgence by reaching the Dallas Open final, only to fall to a red-hot Denis Shapovalov in straight sets. Just as his form seemed to pick up, setbacks returned with an early first-round exit at Indian Wells and R16 finishes in Miami and Monte Carlo. A quarterfinal run in Barcelona ended at the hands of Danish star Holger Rune as well.
Now, with the clay-court season in full swing, Ruud has shifted his focus. Speaking at the Barcelona Open recently, he said, “My goal at the start of the season was to reach the quarterfinals in every tournament I was going to play. I couldn’t do it in Monte Carlo, here I couldn’t defend the title, but well, last year I started the season very well and then had quick defeats in Madrid and Rome. I want to have a bit more stability in the upcoming weeks and months; my goal is to reach the quarterfinals in all the remaining tournaments.”
Continuing further, Ruud added, “Having that goal, I think, is ambitious because reaching the quarters means you are among the top players in the tournament. I’ll see how I perform in Madrid; I reached the quarterfinals once before, and I hope to match that and have a great tournament,” he continued.
To reach the Madrid QFs, Casper Ruud will have to overcome Taylor Fritz, against whom he holds a 2-1 H2H advantage. Can the Norwegian continue his quest for success by upsetting the American? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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