Norway’s Casper Ruud fell in the Seoul quarterfinals with a 2-6, 6-3, 2-6 result against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka. The setback came as Nadal watched closely, and the outcome reshaped the race for the world No. 2 spot behind Carlos Alcaraz. The result also marked a notable moment in the season as two Spaniards sit at the top of the rankings for the first time in the ATP era. Source: ATP Tour.
Before the Seoul event, the ATP rankings had Alcaraz leading the men’s singles with a strong total of 6,740 points, followed by Ruud with 5,850 and Nadal at 5,810. The standings highlighted a tight but clear race at the top, with Alcaraz maintaining momentum as the season progressed. Source: ATP Tour.
Ruud’s quarterfinal loss in Seoul altered the official ranking picture, placing him temporarily at 4,930 points in the live tally. When the official update was issued on Monday, the points were expected to solidify, and Ruud appeared set to drop to third place behind Alcaraz and Nadal, who did not compete during the week and thus did not gain or lose points. The change underscores how a single match can influence year-end positioning in the ATP rankings. Source: ATP Tour.
For the first time in ATP history, two Spanish players occupied the top two spots in the world rankings. Spain has a storied history with the sport, having produced multiple champions who have led the ATP list, including Carlos Moyá, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Rafael Nadal, and, most recently, Carlos Alcaraz. The emergence of two Spaniards in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions represents a milestone for the country in the modern era. Source: ATP Tour.
Ruud’s Friday match opened unfavorably for the recent US Open finalist. He faced a tough duel with Carlos Alcaraz earlier in the day, and the match saw him drop the first set after surrendering two service breaks, a setback that foreshadowed the strategic challenges he would face on the Seoul hard courts. The set’s early momentum clearly favored his Spanish opponent, and Ruud found himself chasing escape routes from a nervy start. Source: ATP Tour.
The Norwegian found his footing as the second set began, showing resilience by clawing back from a difficult position. He challenged Nishioka’s serve, converting crucial opportunities and testing the Japanese with aggressive returns. An early break by Ruud in the middle portion of the set appeared to flip the momentum, and he managed to hold serve to tilt the balance in his favor for a moment. Yet the decisive exchanges came later, and Ruud was unable to sustain the pressure needed to close out the set. Source: ATP Tour.
The decisive third set saw a tight finish, with the 23-year-old Norwegian and the 27-year-old Japanese locked at 2-2. Nishioka then captured four straight games, leveraging a clean serving sequence and well-timed breaks of Ruud’s attempts to regain control, ultimately securing the victory. The match underscored Nishioka’s steadier late-sets play and Ruud’s struggle to convert opportunities at critical junctures. Source: ATP Tour.
Despite the Seoul result, Ruud’s season remains under close scrutiny as he exits the venue earlier than hoped. The setback continued a pattern of strong appearances offset by occasional disappointments in the run-up to the year-end events. Nadal’s absence from the competition left others to contend for ranking points, with the ATP 250 event in the United States drawing attention to the shifting dynamics at the top of the standings. Source: ATP Tour.
On the other side, Nishioka advanced to the semifinals, where he faced the winner of the other Friday clash between American players Mackenzie McDonald and Aleksandar Kovacevic. The semifinal lineup promised a compelling contest, with both players aiming to build momentum toward the latter stages of the season. Source: ATP Tour.