Nadal's disciple shines, achieving something even Alcaraz-Sinner must 'bow down to'

This is the most impressive career student that Rafa Nadal's academy has ever produced.

Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud had a start that could not be more impressive in his journey to defend his championship title at the Madrid Open by easily overcoming Jaume Munar in the second round. In just over an hour of play, the most outstanding student from Rafa Nadal's academy completely dominated his opponent with a 6-0; 6-1 victory to secure a spot in the third round, where he will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Notably, this is the first tournament Ruud has returned to after having to withdraw from the Barcelona Open due to an injury sustained at the Monte Carlo Masters. However, the 25-year-old player quickly proved he remains a major star on clay courts with his devastating form.

The victory over Munar not only helps Ruud advance deeper in the tournament but also reinforces his superior standing on his favored surface. Since the start of the 2020 season, the Norwegian player has secured up to 133 wins on clay courts in the ATP Tour—the highest number among male players. This achievement far surpasses names like Carlos Alcaraz (108 wins) and Jannik Sinner, who is not even in the top five.

Not only superior in win count, Ruud also boasts an impressive record with 12 out of 14 ATP titles won on clay courts. Among these, the 2025 Madrid Open championship is the sole ATP 1000 title in the career of the former Rafa Nadal academy student up to the present moment.

With stable form and overwhelming statistics compared to top rivals, Casper Ruud continues to affirm his position as one of the world's leading clay court specialists. If he maintains this performance, the Norwegian player has solid grounds to dream of successfully defending his title at Madrid this year.