Rublev snatches the title in Madrid!
After a fine final, Andrey Rublev claimed the second Masters 1000 title of his career (after Monte-Carlo 2023, already on clay). Faced with an excellent Auger-Aliassime, the Russian got off to a rocky start before rediscovering his very best tennis to win (4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in 2h48).
After a first set in which he got off to too poor a start to expect anything, the Moscow native delivered a second match of the highest order (25 winners, 15 unforced errors, 7 aces) to give way to an excellent Canadian. Collapsing on the court at the end of the match, the world number 8 can savour the moment. Having arrived in Madrid in absolute doubt (4 defeats in a row), the Russian leaves Spain with reinvigorated confidence, having just achieved one of the greatest successes of his career. The title also enables Rublev to return to a ranking that suits him better, as he will be 6th in the world on Monday.
For Auger-Aliassime, the regrets will be immense. Just one set away from his first Masters 1000 title, the 23-year-old will have to wait and see. Having played a full match (36 winners, 19 unforced errors, 14 aces), the world number 35 has little to reproach himself for. His opponent was simply a little better. The 1.93m right-hander will be pleased with his rise in the ATP rankings, however, as he returns to the Top 20 on Monday (20th, up 15 places). His seeded status at Roland-Garros is now assured.
In any case, this superb final will have saved a tournament that had been marred by repeated injuries.
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