"Do you have the prize money ready?" - Casper Ruud hilariously banters with Geneva Open sponsor following his title win
Casper Ruud got the better of Tomas Machac in straight sets to win the Geneva Open for the third time in his career. During his post-match speech, Ruud hilariously bantered with the sponsor of the tournament and asked him if the prize money was ready for the Norwegian to collect.
Ruud put up an extraordinary show to win the semifinal and the final on the same day after his semifinal against Flavio Cobolli was delayed due to rain on Friday.
In the first semifinal that was completed on Friday, Machac got the better of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 0-6, 6-1. Ruud and Cobolli were set to take center stage following the first semifinal but rain played spoilsport and they came to the court on Saturday morning.
The Norwegian made a terrible start but rallied back from the dead to win the match 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4). In the decider, the second seed saved a match point at 5-4.
In the final, just three hours after winning against Cobolli, Ruud was out there winning again. In the first set, he saved a set point at 5-4 down to win it 7-5. The 25-year-old won the second set 6-3 to win the final and his third Geneva Open title.
The sponsors of the tournament are Gonet Bank. In his winning speech, Ruud jokingly asked the sponsors if his prize money was ready.
Ruud asked, "And to the sponsors, especially GONET, my friend, do you have the prize money ready? Is it ready?"
The total prize money on offer in the competition was €579,320. Ruud is expected to take home €88,125, while Machac is expected to bag €51,400.
Casper Ruud believes Tomas Machac deserved to win the first set in the Geneva Open 2024 final
Tomas Machac was on a set point when he led 5-4 in the first set of the 2024 Geneva Open final against Casper Ruud. However, the Norwegian pulled off a win from a tough spot. He believes Machac deserved the first set.
"He definitely deserved to win the first set... It was tough to find a groove. The weather has been a bit challenging this week, but today was fantastic," Ruud said (via ESPN)
Ruud, who has won the Geneva Open in 2021, 2022, and 2024, will now head to the French Open. The 25-year-old has been a finalist at the claycourt slam for the past two years. He will begin his 2024 French Open campaign against Felipe Alves.