Ruud gets the upper hand over Tsitsipas and wins the Barcelona Open final

BARCELONA (AP) — Casper Ruud exacted revenge on Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the Barcelona Open final in straight sets on Sunday for the biggest win of his career a week after he lost the Monte Carlo Masters final to the Greek.

Ruud won 7-5, 6-3 to claim his first title of the season after losing his previous three finals.

“To be honest, it was worth the wait,” admitted Ruud after the victory in Barcelona. “A lot of the finals I lost were difficult, a little disappointing of course. Every time you reach the final it’s a good week, so you can’t be hard on yourself, but this has been a long time coming.”

Seventh seed Tsitsipas won comfortably in Monte Carlo, but this time Ruud prevailed and converted three of six break points.

“I’m very happy to do it here in Barcelona in front of a full stadium on the Rafa Nadal Court,” added the sixth-ranked player. “It’s a special moment because I’ve always admired him (Nadal), throughout my childhood I came here at 13 to watch him play. “It’s a great feeling.”

Ruud now has his sights set on next month’s French Open after reaching the final last year, one of three Grand Slam finals he has lost.

The 25-year-old Norwegian ended the 10-match winning streak of Tsitsipas, who was 10-0 on clay this season and seeking his 12th career title. Tsitsipas has lost four finals in Barcelona – in 2018, 2021, 2023 and 2024.

This was Ruud’s 11th career title and 10th title on clay. His last title was in Estoril in April 2023.