In a recent interview with Casper Ruud, the rising tennis star delved into his experiences facing two of the greatest players in the sport, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, in Grand Slam finals. Ruud, who made his first Slam final at the French Open in mid-2022, shared his thoughts on the daunting task of going up against these tennis legends.
“When I was about to face Nadal and Djokovic in Grand Slam finals, I was pretty optimistic,” Ruud admitted. He acknowledged the challenge ahead of him but also drew confidence from Nadal’s injury during their encounter at Roland Garros. The Spaniard, battling foot issues and undergoing treatments, still managed to dominate Ruud with a crushing 6-3 6-3 6-0 victory, adding another title to his impressive record at the tournament.
The following year, Ruud found himself in another French Open final, this time against Djokovic. The Serbian maestro, eyeing the all-time Grand Slam record, proved to be a formidable opponent as he defeated Ruud 7-6 (1) 6-3 7-5 to claim his 23rd Major title.
Reflecting on his experiences against Nadal and Djokovic, Ruud shared his admiration for their relentless determination on the court. “The two finals I played, against Rafa in 2022 and against Novak in 2023, I thought: ‘Could it be harder – can you find more motivated players in the history of the game?’” Ruud remarked. “You understand that they’re probably going to stay on court until the death. They don’t want to lose.”
Ruud’s encounter with Nadal, despite the Spaniard’s injury, revealed the mental toughness and resolve of the veteran player. “Against Nadal, with his foot injury, I was pretty optimistic. I came in with confidence, I wasn’t too nervous, certainly a little bit, but I didn’t feel like I had any pressure. But the match started and I got broken in the first game, that’s it,” Ruud recounted.
In addition to his French Open finals, Ruud also reached the title match at the 2022 US Open, where he faced off against Carlos Alcaraz and fell short in four sets. The young Norwegian continues to make his mark on the tennis world, learning valuable lessons from his battles against the greats of the game.
