Casper Ruud has given his thoughts about his 2022 season, with the verdict being that it has been a great success.
Reflecting on the past twelve months following his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the final of the ATP Finals, the blossoming young Norwegian revealed that, had someone offered his season's accomplishments to him at the start of the year, he would have taken it.
The 23 year-old is a three time ATP titlist this year, and will finish the year at World No. 3 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Ruud also made his first Masters 1000 final in Miami, before bettering that by making the finals of the French Open and the US Open. To cap off an impressive season, Ruud reached the final of the season-ending showpiece last week, eventually losing to an imperious Novak.
"In the end it's been disappointing to end up losing these big finals," Ruud said. "Overall, if you gave me an offer to end the year at No. 3, play the finals that I've played, at the 1st of January this year, I would probably sign the contract right away. No doubt about it."
Of his record in big finals this year, none of which have gone the Norwegian's way, Ruud said, "It gives me motivation and a hunger to maybe next time, if I ever get to another final like this... I hope I can learn from what I have done this year and not been able to do and see how it goes. I just feel like I still have room for improvements, even though I'm very happy with my game and how things have turned out this year."
With big, looping groundstrokes, Ruud is most comfortable on clay courts, and some have put him down as a specialist on that surface who might struggle on the faster conditions of the indoor hard-courts.
That he has been able to make big moves away from the red clay has added extra satisfaction to his achievements this year.
"This result to me is maybe one of the most surprising, finishing the year here on a blistering fast indoor hard court, making the final — not something that I found very likely", he said. "I've overachieved compared to my own mind, so I'm very happy about that."
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