BlockxBuster: Blockx Dethrones Defending-Champion Ruud, Reaches Madrid Semifinals
By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, April 30, 2026
Photo credit: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty
Serving for the biggest win of his career, a lunging Alexander Blockx stabbed a full-stretch backhand volley that died in the dirt.
Even when Casper Ruud pushed the Belgian into obscure areas, Blockx conjured brilliant answers to make the defending champion disappear from Madrid’s Magic Box.
Continuing his creative run through the field, Blockx dethroned defending champion Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to become the first Belgian man in history to reach the Mutua Madrid Open semifinals.
The 21-year-old Blockx beat the two-time French Open finalist from all areas of the court, Displaying both fire and finesse, Blockx won 28 of 33 points played on his first serve and confounded Ruud with slick shot-making including an eye-popping backhand strike from outside the doubles alley and a couple of clean re-dropper winners off drop shots.
Blockx will play either second-seeded Alexander Zverev or 10th-seeded Flavio Cobolli for a spot in Sunday’s final.
It’s a costly loss for Ruud, who saved match points edging Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round. Ruud saw his nine-match Madrid winning streak snapped and will fall out of the Top 20 for the first time since May, 2021.
Consider what Blockx has achieved this month. Arriving in April seeking his first Tour-level clay-court win, Blockx has beaten No. 5 Felix Auger-Aliassime, No. 20 Francisco Cerundolo and the 15th-ranked Ruud to reach his maiden Tour-level semifinal and join Jakub Mensik as the second man born in 2005 or later to reach an ATP Masters 1000 semifinal.
The victory vaults Blockx past compatriot Zizou Bergs to No. 35 in the ATP Live Rankings as he rises to Belgian No. 1 for the first time.
This inspired run has surprised even the 2023 Australian Open junior champion, who is nicknamed “Block-X” by fellow players.
“To be honest, I’m just happy to be here,” Blockx said. “Semifinals is not something I would even dream of to begin with.
“I think the conditions suit me well here. The clay is slow so I have time to set up and hit my shots. At the same time it’s fast because of the altitude so I feel it’s a perfect combination for me.”
Generating offense opportunities from his heavy serve—Blockx’s average first-serve speed today was 130 mph—the Belgian beat Ruud in some key forehand exchanges. Blockx rattled out 17 unforced forehand errors from Ruud.
From the early stages, it was clear the Belgian was feeling the ball well and exuding confidence despite a 5-minute delay to repair the center strap Blockx broke with a serve in his opening service game. Blockx ran down a drop shot and dazzled with the re-dropper winner breaking at love for 2-1.
Serving up 4-3, Blockx blinked.
Hitting the wide serve to create a wide expanse of open space, Blockx sent a near open-court forehand drive volley long as Ruud broke back to level, 4-all. That was Ruud’s only break of the day.
Though Ruud led 40-15 in the following game, he could not close.
The former French Open finalist badly bungled a drop shot attempt, sailed a forehand and then broke a string on his Yonex forcing him to attack net. Ruud could not handle a low pass as Blockx broke again for 5-4, while Ruud picked up a fresh stick.
The 21-year-old Belgian went up double set point, but Ruud saved both belting an inside-out forehand winner on the second. Ruud knocked off a forehand volley to save a third set point, but shoveled a forehand long handing Blockx a fourth set point.
Pouncing on a short ball, Blockx clubbed a forehand down the line to snatch a one-set lead after 52 minutes.
There’s a powerful simplicity in the Belgian’s strokes. Blockx uses his legs and lower body as a strong foundation to generate power. Blockx barely missed a backhand in the opening set and showed the skills to flatten out his forehand in all areas.
The world No. 69 saved a break point when Ruud mis-hit a forehand off a funky bounce, eventually holding to level the second set after four games.
Though the 6’4” Blockx arrived in April seeking his first Tour-level clay-court win, he’s moved around the Madrid clay with the comfort level of a man roaming around his local club.
A smooth mover, Blockx showed a fast first step and determined closing speed in the seventh game. Ruud did not do enough with a forehand volley and a streaking Blockx made him pay rapping a running backhand strike down the line from outside the doubles alley that brought gasps from some fans in the crowd and a wide grin to the Belgian’s face.
That superb strike put Blockx up Love-30. When Ruud jerked a wild backhand wide, Blockx broke for 4-3.
Serving for the semifinal, Blockx pulled off that dazzling backhand stab volley to open the game then closed a one hour, 36-minute win whipping the wide serve on his fourth match point.
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