In the world of tennis, the future is bright with young talent emerging to carry the torch after the dominance of legends like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Carlos Alcaraz. One such rising star, Jannik Sinner, has been making waves in the tennis world, but is he truly the best news for the sport? According to Casper Ruud, the answer is no.
After a thrilling match at the Laver Cup against Francisco Cerundulo, Ruud sat down for an interview with Punto de Break and did not hold back in his praise for Carlos Alcaraz. In fact, he seemed to downplay Sinner’s impact on the sport, highlighting Alcaraz as the standout player for the future of tennis.
“I can’t say anything but good about Carlos. Having the chance to spend time with him this week is fantastic, because he is an exceptional guy. What he is doing in his career is incredible, having a young player like him is the best possible news for tennis. He is capable of doing impressive things on the court, he has a talent rarely seen in this sport and I have great admiration for him. I hope I can continue to improve and be able to beat him in the future, but also that he continues to have great successes for many years,” Ruud gushed.
Ruud also touched on the grueling schedule that tennis players have to adhere to in order to stay competitive in the ATP rankings. With numerous mandatory tournaments throughout the year, players like Ruud are constantly on the go, trying to balance rest and recovery with the demands of the tour.
“There are so many tournaments and too many are mandatory. If you want to be among the best in the world you can’t take too many weeks off. The tennis season is longer than in any other sport, we play at a very high level ten months a year and the consequences if you lower the intensity are immediate in the rankings. I trust that at some point decisions will be made and adjustments will be made, but I fear that this will not happen in the short term. There are many agreements already signed with sponsors and commitments of the ATP with various events. We only ask that the tennis players be taken into consideration when the calendar is established,” Ruud explained.
With the tennis landscape evolving and new talents like Alcaraz and Sinner on the rise, it will be intriguing to see how the sport adapts to accommodate these young stars while maintaining the integrity and competitiveness of the game. The future of tennis is in good hands, and players like Ruud are ready to embrace the challenge that lies ahead.