Madrid, Spain
News Desk | Sports
Casper Ruud opened his Madrid Open title defence with a commanding 6-0, 6-1 victory over Spain’s Jaume Munar on Friday, advancing to the round of 32 at La Caja Mágica. The Norwegian 12th seed needed just over an hour to dispatch Munar in his first match since withdrawing from the Monte Carlo Masters with a calf injury, according to tournament officials. The win sets up a third-round meeting with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Sunday, the ATP said.
Casper Ruud, who lifted his maiden Masters 1000 trophy in Madrid last year, arrived in the Spanish capital after a week of rehabilitation at Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca, he told reporters in Madrid. He retired during his third-round match against Felix Auger-Aliassime in Monte Carlo earlier this month and subsequently skipped the Barcelona Open to recover, the Norwegian said. “I’m happy to say I’m fully recovered,” Ruud said in Madrid. “I was a bit worried at first. I thought Madrid would be tough. But I’ve had good days of recovery.”
Against Munar, Casper Ruud won 79% of first-serve points and converted all five break opportunities, tournament data showed. He dropped just one game, marking his 133rd clay-court victory since the start of the 2020 season, a total higher than any other player on the ATP Tour in that span, the tour noted.
The victory carried added personal meaning for Casper Ruud. His daughter, born on January 30, 2026, with partner Maria Galligani, attended a professional match for the first time, the player confirmed. Ruud also hosted his cousin Oscar in Madrid, continuing a family tradition started by his grandmother Liv, who first brought him to the tournament as a 10-year-old in 2009, he said.
Casper Ruud holds a 3-3 head-to-head record with Davidovich Fokina, who defeated Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-3 in his opening match, according to the ATP. The Norwegian said Nadal encouraged him during his recovery in Mallorca, telling him he has “plenty to fight for in the coming weeks,” as Ruud prepares for Roland Garros, which begins May 24.
The match was played on the Manolo Santana stadium court. Casper Ruud said he skipped Barcelona as a precaution and feels “100% again,” speaking to Sky Sports after the win. “It was smart to skip Barcelona and take four or five days completely off,” he said.
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