After capturing his first-ever ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid, Spain, Casper Ruud will compete in Rome, Italy, the season's final Masters 1000 clay-court event before the orange-surfaced crème de la crème: Roland Garros.
Ruud not only won his first title on the Masters 1000 level but also jumped back into the top 10 rankings, where he now sits at No. 8. Depending on how far he advances in Rome, Ruud can reach even higher.
Ruud enters the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on a high note, but it's fair to recognize that his two-week journey in Madrid could affect him with not-so-similar results. That said, considering he outlasted the competition in Madrid and his confidence and motivation are likely at an all-time high, Ruud could come through again and make another deep run.
Casper Ruud's Rome path tougher than Madrid
Ruud enters Rome in the top half of the men's draw, and some heavy hitters are tagging along. First and foremost, Rome includes the return of Jannik Sinner, who hasn't traded forehands or backhands with an opponent since the Australian Open. After his Grand Slam victory down under, Sinner served a three-month ineligibility period in a case resolution agreement with WADA.
He is the tournament's top-ranked player in Rome and joins Frances Tiafoe, Sebastian Korda, Ben Shelton, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, among others, who Ruud could face.
Aside from any momentum he carries with him from Spain, what bodes well for Ruud is his clay court prosperity. Ruud has won 12 of his 13 tour-level titles on clay—quite a remarkable career highlight. On top of that hill of success, the Norwegian is a three-time semi-finalist in Rome.
This event has been the story of oh-so-close for Ruud. Following the success of his Madrid victory this past weekend, Ruud hopes to turn that oh-so-close into celebrating an oh-so-finally!