Get ready, tennis lovers, for an epic summit clash at the Madrid Open this weekend! It’s all come down to this: Jack Draper taking on Casper Ruud in the final battle of the ATP 1000 clay event. On one hand, there’s the Brit World No. 6 who’s in his third title clash of this season after the Qatar Open and the Indian Wells Masters, which he even won against Holger Rune in March. On the other side, we have the Norwegian star who’s been in amazing touch for the last two weeks in Madrid. He’s made it to his third Masters 1000 championship match.

But who will have their name etched onto the Madrid Open trophy on Sunday, apart from receiving 1000 ranking points? Let’s try to find out!

Jack Draper vs. Casper Rudd: Preview

Jack Draper’s 2025 season has been commendable, to say the least. Back in January, he made it to the fourth round of the Happy Slam before losing to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. Continuing his impressive form, he succeeded in entering the summit clash of the Qatar Open. Unfortunately, Andrey Rublev didn’t let him win the trophy. But Draper fulfilled his objective soon at the Indian Wells Masters. In the final battle, he beat Denmark’s Holger Rune in straight sets to win his maiden Masters 1000 trophy.

However, the Brit failed to keep up the consistency in the next two events. At the Miami Open and the Monte Carlo Masters, he crashed out in R64 and then R16. But it looks like the 23-year-old has regained his lost rhythm in Madrid. He began his campaign with a straight-set victory over Tallon Griekspoor. He then received a direct entry in R16 after his opponent, Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, withdrew due to an injury. Draper then edged out American Tommy Paul (6-2, 6-2) before taking down Matteo Arnaldi in the QF. In the semis, Draper then eliminated another Italian, Lorenzo Musetti, on Friday, to advance into the Madrid Open championship match.

Speaking of his opponent, Norway’s Casper Ruud’s 2025 season has been decent if not impressive. Back in January, he was ousted in the second round of the Australian Open. However, he bounced back in Dallas and reached the final. Unfortunately, Ruud couldn’t win the title against Canada’s Denis Shapovalov. But his poor form surfaced again and affected his run in the next four tournaments. At the Mexican Open, Indian Wells, Miami Open, and Monte Carlo, he was ousted early in R16, R64, R16, and R16 again.

Fortunately, Ruud returned to form in Barcelona, where he made it to the QF before his defeat against Rune. Coming into the Madrid Open, he kicked off his journey with a straight-set win over Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech. Next up, in R32, he ousted American Sebastian Korda before taking down another American, Taylor Fritz, in R16. In the R8, the Norwegian then outperformed Russia’s Daniil Medvedev. On Friday, Ruud eliminated Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo (6-4, 7-5) to enter the final.

Jack Draper vs. Casper Ruud: Head-to-Head

Both players have never met in ATP events. Currently, the h2h tally stands at 0-0. Sunday’s match will mark their maiden face-off on the professional level.

Prediction: Jack Draper to win in straight sets

Jack Draper is having a solid edge over Casper Ruud in terms of the singles stats this season. With a win percentage of 82.60, he’s won 19 of his 23 matches compared to the Norwegian (16-7).

Coming onto event history, Draper’s prior experience in Madrid has been mediocre at best. In his last two appearances (2022 and 2024), he couldn’t move past R32 and R64. Ruud, on the other hand, has had one praiseworthy campaign on the clay court of this event. Back in 2021, he managed to reach the SF round before losing to Matteo Berrettini. However, his last three appearances (2022, 2023, and 2024) have been average. He was eliminated in R32, R64, and then R16.

But what about their playing styles? Well, Draper’s known for his baseline domination using solid serves. Combine that with an impressive on-court movement. In short, he can adjust between the baseline and the net with ease. His left-handed sliced serve also comes in handy to build pressure on the opponents and earn crucial points. On the other hand, Ruud also prefers to attack from the baseline using his powerful forehand. Not to forget his one-handed backhand and a fine serve.

Now, considering the overall form this season, the Brit appears to be the favorite going into Sunday’s Madrid Open final. Jack Draper is expected to win the trophy in straight sets against Ruud.