For World No. 9 Casper Ruud, there is always a conundrum on who is the greatest tennis player, but he did not blink when he was asked to name the best golfer between two tennis heavyweights.
In a video shared by Tennis TV, the question had a different spin to it where the two-time French Open finalist Ruud was put on the spot to pick the best golfer between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Without hesitation, Ruud selected the Spanish Matador.
Nadal has showcased his talents for being a multi-sport athlete and frequents the Balearic Mid-Amateur Golf Championship when he is away from the tennis courts. Last year, the tennis legend finished second on the leaderboard, in the event that was held on the lawns of Mallorca.
The 37-year-old is also an occasional visitor on the golf courses in California. He is friends with Indian Wells tournament owner Larry Ellison and plays golf at his Porcupine Creek Estate in Rancho Mirage when he Tours Coachella Valley to play the BNP Paribas Open.
It didn't come as a surprise that Ruud picked the Spaniard over Djokovic. The Norwegian was nonetheless amazed by Djokovic's performance in the recent all-star match at the Ryder Cup. Djokovic famously hit one of the shots of the day when he drove the 16th green on par four.
Ruud also revealed that he was invited to partake in the celebrity-filled event that acted as the official curtain raiser for the 44th edition of the Ryder Cup, but was sad that he declined the request due to a clash with his schedule.
"Rafa. Rafa is better. Sorry Novak, but you've beaten Rafa a lot on the tennis court, but you won't beat him on a golf course. He's going to have to live with that."
"They [Ryder Cup] actually asked me to be a part of this all-star match that Novak Djokovic played. And I was so sad to have to turn it down. Because I was playing in Beijing."
"It was fun to see Novak, his swing was better than I thought. He even drove the green in Hole 16."