Casper Ruud aimed for his tenth consecutive ATP Tour victory when facing Jannik Sinner in Rome.
The Norwegian had a rocky start to the season but regained his form at the Madrid Open.
Ruud defeated Jack Draper to secure his first Masters 1000 title, after previously losing in two finals.
Building on this success, Ruud won his initial three matches against Alexander Bublik, Matteo Berrettini, and Jaume Munar in Rome.
This victory set up a quarterfinal encounter between the ATP Tour’s two players with the longest winning streaks: Ruud (9) and Sinner (24).
While many predicted a close match, it turned out to be a one-sided affair, with Sinner overwhelming Ruud with a score of 6-0, 6-1, advancing to the semifinals.
Ruud Reflects on His Defeat Against Sinner
In a post-match conference, Ruud pinpointed his serve as the shot that failed him against the top-ranked player.
“The shot that let me down the most today is my serve,” he stated. “A better serve would have given me more free points.”
Ruud’s performance on serve was surprisingly weak, marked by his poorest serving stats of the tournament against Sinner.
| Round | Aces | Double faults | First serve % | Win % on first serve | Win % on second serve |
| QF v Jannik Sinner | 1 | 2 | 52% | 43% | 21% |
| 4R v Jaume Munar | 1 | 1 | 59% | 78% | 81% |
| 3R v Matteo Berrettini | 4 | 1 | 71% | 88% | 67% |
| 2R v Alexander Bublik | 7 | 2 | 62% | 77% | 68% |
Ruud elaborated on the difficulty of winning points against Sinner, noting, “In the longer rallies, I might have won one or two. It felt like playing against a wall that constantly fires high-speed balls at you.”
Despite the disappointment of such a decisive loss, Ruud recognizes few players could have matched Sinner’s form that day—a performance that thrilled fans in Stadio Centrale.
Looking forward, Ruud will head to Geneva in hopes of defending his title from 2024.
Can Ruud Recover and Claim His Fourth Geneva Title?
Ruud’s next competition is the Geneva Open, commencing on May 19, where he aims for a record fourth title, having won three of the last four tournaments.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Final score |
| 2024 | Casper Ruud (3) | Tomas Machac | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 2023 | Nicolas Jarry | Grigor Dimitrov | 7-6, 6-1 |
| 2022 | Casper Ruud (2) | Joao Sousa | 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 |
| 2021 | Casper Ruud | Denis Shapovalov | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 2019 | Alexander Zverev | Nicolas Jarry | 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 |
| 2018 | Marton Fucsovics | Peter Gojowczyk | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 2017 | Stan Wawrinka (2) | Mischa Zverev | 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2016 | Stan Wawrinka | Marin Cilic | 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2015 | Thomaz Bellucci | Joao Sousa | 7-6, 6-4 |
To secure a fourth title, Ruud will face formidable competition, as several top players are expected to finalize their preparations for the French Open in Geneva.
Top Eight Seeds at the 2025 Geneva Open
- 1. Taylor Fritz
- 2. Novak Djokovic
- 3. Casper Ruud
- 4. Tomas Machac
- 5. Karen Khachanov
- 6. Alexei Popyrin
- 7. Hubert Hurkacz
- 8. Alex Michelsen
Ruud will be cautious of potential challenges from Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz in the latter stages of the tournament.
The 2025 Geneva Open is set to begin on Monday, May 19, featuring three top-ten players.
