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Casper Ruud is the first Norwegian to enter the select Top 10 of men’s tennis.
Without making much noise, Casper Ruud advances steadily in the world of tennis. The first Norwegian to enter the select Top 10, the player with the most wins on clay last year, will play on Sunday. his first Roland Garros final against his idol Rafael Nadal.
“People often tell me in the supermarket that my face sounds like they’ve seen me somewhere”, admits Ruud , even without the status of sports star in his country as the footballer Erling Haaland or the long-distance runner Johannes Klaebo have. A lack of popularity that more than annoys, seems to amuse this young man of 23 years.
Pioneer in his country
However, the son of Christian Ruud, who came Being N.39 in the ATP rankings, he is a pioneer in Norwegian tennis. After beating Italian Lorenzo Sonego last Saturday at the end of a fierce five-set match, the young Casper became the star of the match. in the first Norwegian to reach the round of 16 at Roland Garros. In the three previous appearances he had not made it past the third round, the same thing that had happened to his father in 1995 and 1999.
In September, Ruud had already made history for his country’s tennis by becoming the first Norwegian player to break into the world Top 10.
An achievement that rewarded a particularly prolific 2021 season. fica, with five tournaments, being the second tennis player with the most titles, tied with Djokovic, only behind Alexander Zverev (6).
In that season he won 57 games, 28 of them on clay, for only 5 defeats, presenting the best ratio of the circuit on this surface. Some results that led him to play the Masters, where he reached & oacute; the semifinals.
In 2022, despite an ankle injury and another in the abdomen, followed by an operation to extract his wisdom teeth, the Norwegian returned to work. He followed the path of success with titles in Buenos Aires and Geneva, some semifinals in Rome, some quarters in Munich and Barcelona, a first Masters 1000 final in Miami (on hard) and as a culmination his first final of the Grand Slam at Roland Garros.
Nadal, a source of inspiration
A pride for the Norwegian who from a young age “always wanted to play big tournaments” and whose childhood idol was none other than Rafael Nadal, his rival in Sunday’s final.
“I admire Rafa. He is the perfect example of how to behave on a court, he never gives up and never complains. He has been my idol all my life”, he admitted. this Friday after beating Croatian Marin Cilic in the semifinals.
“He’s the only Big 3 player (along with Federer and Djokovic) that I’ve never played against, so he’s the only player I’ve ever played against.” I guess this is the perfect time. Playing against him in a Grand Slam final will be amazing. cool. I hope for him too, playing against a student from his academy”, he said remembering when he was forged as a tennis player five years ago in the training center that the Spaniard has in his native Mallorca.
Years before the appointment on Sunday, the young Ruud played tennis, but also other sports such as football, ice hockey or golf, which he continues to practice today. In fact, before his match against Cilic he could be seen warming up… with a soccer ball.
It was at the age of 12 when he decided to definitely because of the little yellow ball. Always with Nadal as the main source of inspiration.
Although he is trained by his father, this former N.1 in the junior category, he trains regularly at the Nadal academy. Nadal. “Being able to hit the ball and chat with him has helped me a lot to reach the level I have today,” he acknowledged a year ago.
Inferiority complex >
It also resembles the Spaniard in its humble attitude, as demonstrated by the Spanish. in the first round match, in which he said goodbye tennis player Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, leaving all the post-match protagonism to the Frenchman.
That gesture has led him to win the affection of the French fans, he who does not usually call the shots. attention of the public.
“My game is not the most spectacular, some might even say that it is boring (…) I try to be solid and do what i know do”, he admitted. in 2021 a Ruud who at the beginning of his career also had an inferiority complex for coming “from a small country at the tennis level”.
“It was never clear to me that I could achieve great things, but right now I feel like I’m getting closer. Winning Roland Garros would be a childhood dream come true”, he said this week in Paris.
His results in the last two years have made him gain confidence little by little. little bit. Nadal is warned.