Casper Ruud Falls to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in Gstaad Upset

Casper Ruud Falls to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in Gstaad Upset

Casper Ruud, the second seed at the Gstaad Open, suffered a surprising loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the quarter-finals on 17 July 2026. The Norwegian tennis star, a two-time champion in 2021 and 2022, was defeated 3-6 7-5 6-2.

What happened?

Cerundolo, who had previously beaten Ruud in the 2025 quarter-finals, came back from a 4-2 deficit in the second set to claim the victory. The Argentinian saved four break points apiece, with Cerundolo facing six to Ruud's eight, and the Argentinian was thrilled he could take the opportunities presented to him.

Why it matters for Casper Ruud

Ruud's loss marks a significant setback for the Norwegian tennis star, who had been looking to make a strong comeback after a tough start to the season. The defeat will likely impact Ruud's ranking and his chances of qualifying for the Grand Slam tournaments.

What comes next?

Cerundolo will now face Raphael Collingnon in the semi-finals, while Ruud will look to regroup and refocus for the next tournament. The loss serves as a reminder that even the top players can fall victim to upsets, and Ruud will need to bounce back quickly to stay in contention.

And Stefanos Tsitsipas completed the spectacular day on the clay courts, as he reached his first semi-final since winning in Dubai last year as he knocked out fourth seed Arthur Rinderknech. The Greek upset Rinderknech 6-3 3-6 6-3 in one hour and 41 minutes, and will face Aleksandr Shevchenko-who beat Halys in the last eight-for a place in the final.

The Gstaad Open has seen its fair share of upsets, with top seed Alexander Bublik falling to Quentin Halys in the round of 16. Halys returned to the court serving at 5-6 in the deciding set and held firm to claim his 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-5) victory on his second match point against the reigning champion.

Cerundolo's victory marked a stunning turnaround against Ruud, who had taken the first set 6-3. The Argentinian remained the only player to have defeated Ruud in Gstaad, having also beaten the Norwegian in the 2025 quarter-finals.

"I put all my energy into trying to feel my best," Cerundolo said in his on-court interview. "He was beating me well. He was doing better and a break up with the wind in his favour. He made maybe two mistakes so that I could come back in the second set. The break point was unbelievable… Then I managed to win the game, and I started playing really well."

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