- Jordan Thompson has killed another giant
- Beat Casper Ruud to win his first ATP Tour title
- It means he goes home with $1.3 million in prize money.
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Marathon runner Jordan Thompson finally captured his first ATP Tour title, and the Australian beat Norway’s Casper Ruud to lift the trophy in Los Cabos, Mexico.
After 11 years on tour, the 29-year-old defeated 12th-ranked Ruud in straight sets 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
Thompson entered the event in a career-best 40th place and has now surpassed that, reaching 32nd place after winning the decider.
The Sydney player was playing in his third final at the circuit level after a brave three-set victory over the top seed and world number 6, Alexander Zverev, in a semifinal that lasted three hours and 42 minutes.
He spent more than 12 hours on the court in his five matches at the Mexico tournament, in the quarterfinals he recovered from 0-6, 0-3 and saved three match points to defeat American Alex Michelson 0-6 , 7-6 (7-1) 7-5.
Jordan Thompson won his first ATP Tour title after another surprising victory
The Australian will take home $1.3 million in prize money after his victory in Mexico
Thompson seemed to be in charge from the start against Ruud, with his mix of shots putting his opponent at a disadvantage.
He was especially successful at the net, using his deft touch to win 18 of 22 points.
But the Australian, ranked second, made life difficult again in the second set.
He led 5-3 and then faltered by serving for the match up 5-4, with former world number 2 Ruud leveling at 5-5.
Thompson was able to refocus amid a rowdy home crowd calling for Ruud to take the match to a third set, and clinched the title in the tiebreaker with a forehand winner.
“I spent a lot of hours on the court this week. In the quarterfinals they could have given me a double, I could have lost 6-0, 6-0 and now I’m about to lift the trophy, so I think it’s still a miracle,” Thompson said after the game.
“It’s been a journey. I’m almost 30 years old and I’m lifting a trophy – I never thought I’d do that.
“My favorite place now, without a doubt,” he said of Los Cabos.
Thompson’s previous tour-level finals came in Holland, at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, in 2019 and 2023.
He killed another giant, this time Casper Ruud, to win the competition.
He had had a brilliant start to the year, beating Rafael Nadal to reach the semi-finals in Brisbane and reaching back-to-back quarter-finals in Dallas and Delray Beach before his run in Los Cabos.
Ruud, 25, had defeated defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in his semi-final and had his 11th Tour title and a return to the top 10 in sight.
Thompson and Ruud had to face each other again shortly afterwards in the doubles semi-finals in Los Cabos, with Thompson teaming with fellow Australian Max Purcell and Ruud with William Blumberg.
This leaves Thompson with the opportunity to become the first player since Nick Kyrgios (2022 Washington) to claim the singles and doubles titles at the same ATP Tour event.