BARCELONA/STARNBERG, April 21, 2024

Casper Ruud sought revenge and did so convincingly on Sunday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. The Norwegian defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece 7-5, 6-3 to claim the trophy at the clay-court ATP 500 event held at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona 1899 in Catalonia.

Just a week after Tsitsipas had won their previous championship match at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Ruud showcased an impressive all-around performance to secure his first ATP Tour title of the season. As the tournament’s third seed, he capitalized on three out of six break points, showcasing his consistency from the baseline on Pista Rafa Nadal.

Flipping The Script! 👏@CasperRuud98 gets revenge for last week’s Monte Carlo final after defeating Tsitispas to capture the title in Barcelona@bcnopenbs #BCNOpenBS pic.twitter.com/imH0BG9ppB

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 21, 2024

“Honestly, this has been worth the wait,” said Ruud after the match, which lasted one hour and 29 minutes. “A lot of finals that I’ve lost have been tough, a bit disappointing, of course. Any time you reach a final, it’s nonetheless a good week, so you can’t be too hard on yourself, but this one has been a long time coming.

“I’m super happy to do it here in Barcelona in front of a packed stadium and on Rafa Nadal Court. It’s special to me because I looked up to him all my childhood, came here myself as a 13-year-old boy to watch him and the others play here. It’s a great feeling.”

By winning his 11th ATP Tour title, the biggest of his career, Ruud earned $488,390 in prize money as well as 500 ATP Ranking points.