Madrid Open stars face off 26 years after their dads played each other

There was a family grudge match at the Madrid Open on Sunday night as top tennis stars Casper Ruud and Sebastian Korda faced off 26 years after their dads played each other at another Masters 1000 event.

Ruud's father, Christian, is a former world No. 39, while Korda is the son of Petr, the 1998 Australian Open champion. The retired stars played each other at the 1999 Miami Open, where Christian came out on top. It was another win for the Ruud family in Spain, though Casper had no clue that his dad had already notched a victory over a Korda.

It felt like the late '90s at the Manolo Santana Stadium on Sunday night as the announcer called Ruud and Korda to the stage.

Despite being less than two years apart in age, the world No. 15 and the American had never met on the tour before. And it was a special showdown as their fathers did battle 26 years ago, before Sebastian was born and when Casper was just a few months old.

Christian Ruud came out on top in their first-round meeting in Miami, beating former world No. 2 Petr Korda 6-2 7-6(6).

It was the same story on the clay courts of the Caja Magica, as Ruud notched a straight-set victory over Korda. But the Norwegian star was none the wiser, admitting he actually thought his dad lost all those years ago.

"Honestly I thought he had lost to Petr before, so I was out here seeking revenge for the family, but this is an even better statistic for us," he said after winning 6-3 6-3.

"We'll try to keep it alive for as long as possible. It's fun that you see certain situations like this where father and son have played and are doing well."

However, Ruud believes the unbeaten streak against the Kordas won't stay alive forever, as he can see himself losing to the world No. 24 in the future.

He added: "I'm sure Sebi and I will play many more times in our career and I'll try my best to keep him behind me, but at some point I'm sure he will catch up or get a win over the Ruud family."

Ruud's dad Christian watched him keep their unbeaten record alive, as the world No. 39 now coaches his son. Meanwhile, Korda works with Radek Stepanek - a player that his own father mentored.

Ruud is now through to the last 16 face another American, fourth seed Taylor Fritz. The 26-year-old usually thrives on the clay, but he's been having a tough time on the surface so far this year.

He went 1-1 at the Monte-Carlo Masters before losing in the quarter-final of the Barcelona Open, where he was the reigning champion.

Ruud reached the semi-final in Madrid on his tournament debut in 2021 but has since never been beyond the fourth round. He hopes to change that when he meets Fritz, who advanced when Benjamin Bonzi retired from their match at one set all.