Casper Ruud leans toward Rome, snubs Madrid’s conditions

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Ruud eager to find form again after early exit in Madrid

Casper Ruud heads into the Italian Open hoping to put a disappointing title defence in Madrid behind him.

The Norwegian, known for his prowess on clay, fell short of expectations when he was knocked out of the quarterfinals by Alexander Blockx. The 21-year-old Belgian sealed the win in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.

Ruud’s 2026 clay-court season had already started on shaky ground. An early exit at Monte-Carlo came after a calf injury forced him out during his round-of-16 match against Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Despite the setback, Ruud managed three wins in Madrid. One of those came in dramatic fashion against Stefanos Tsitsipas, where he saved two match points before completing the turnaround.

Now preparing for Rome’s ATP Masters 1000 event—his third and final stop on clay this year—Ruud believes that conditions at the Italian Open will play to his strengths.

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Casper Ruud shares his thoughts ahead of the 2026 Italian Open in Rome

Speaking to Tennis TV about how he plans to approach the conditions in Rome, Ruud said: “I think just getting my kind of heavier forehand going. Seeing that the courts are a bit slower, it’s maybe easier to come around a few extra shots.

“From Madrid to here are probably the biggest differences that you will have in the clay court [season], going from a fast altitude, fast playing court to a slower one here in Rome.

“And the clay is kind of rougher here, thicker and makes the ball really slow down. So it takes a few days to adjust, which I’m still doing, and I have a few more days, luckily, to prepare and get ready for my first match.