Ruud won the Madrid Open title last week.
After admitting to his struggles with mental health, Casper Ruud roared back to form by capturing the Mutua Madrid Open 2025 crown. The Norwegian got the better of World No. 5 Jack Draper 7-5 3-6 6-4 in a thrilling final. Taking into consideration the supremely high standards he sets for himself, Ruud is bound to experience the burden of consistency and accuracy – like any other premier athlete. But after his recent success, a former World No. 1 has come in support of the two-time Roland Garros finalist.
The ex-player in question is American legend Andy Roddick. During his time as an ATP star, Roddick won 32 singles championships and 4 doubles trophies. Speaking about Ruud in his podcast, the 2003 US Open champion commended the 26-year-old for rising from the ashes. His run to glory at the Spanish capital happened to be his first title of 2025 – Ruud’s previous best result was reaching the final in Dallas.
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In recent times, a poor run of form led to increased criticism of former World No. 2 Ruud. The three-time Grand Slam runner-up went on to reveal that he had been struggling with mental health concerns, which he addressed in order to regain lost form. Former serve machine Andy Roddick, who has been vocal about mental health and dealing with it, took to his ‘Served With Andy Roddick’ podcast to praise the Norwegian’s resolve and openness.
“Casper Ruud breaks through. This is like a compliment to him – he had fallen to No. 14 in the world post Barcelona which he had won last year,” Roddick said. “He had kind of invested and entertained the idea of addressing mental health.” A few weeks ago, Roddick mentioned the ‘f**king psychotic’ way in which tennis players of his generation were forced to deal with their problems internally.
“If your ankle hurts, you treat it. If your brain is getting in the way of you trying to win matches and there’s a way to address it, that’s mental health. Props to Casper Ruud – and then he addresses it – it’s not surprising to me that he then goes on and performs well in big moments. If you prepare yourself for big moments and do everything you can to be ready, oftentimes preparation meets the moment.”
After a mediocre Sunshine season, Ruud entered the part of the season that has been bread and butter for him – the clay court swing. However, things didn’t go to plan when Yonex’s frontline athlete failed to make an impact in Monte Carlo and Barcelona. As a result, Ruud lost valuable ranking points (he was the Barcelona champion in 2024) which raised serious doubts over his immediate future on tour.
“I’ve been kind of feeling not great mentally this year,” Ruud told the press in Madrid. “It just came down to me feeling like I’m running in this hamster wheel and I’m never getting anywhere.” He continued, “I’ve seeked help, which has really worked for me.” According to Roddick, this was the pivotal factor in ensuring Ruud’s return to the Top-10.
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Ruud will take part in the 2025 Italian Open in Rome next, before heading to Paris for Roland Garros. Seeded No. 6 at this year’s event, Ruud has the chance to earn critical ranking points as he was knocked out in Round-2 last year.
