Ruud Defends His Choice For Unconventional Wimbledon Preparation On Golf Course

Tuesday, 04 July 2023 at 08:00

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byBalasz Virag

Casper Ruud didn't have the typical Wimbledon preparation as he skipped over all the ATP events but he started off with a win.

The Norwegian famously said last year that he doesn't think tennis should be played on grass. He also joked that he prepared for Wimbledon by playing golf which is a sport he finds a better fit on grass. He followed his words this year by posting himself playing golf while other players were busy playing some grass events.

The first match went rather well as he won it in four sets. It wasn't the perfect match but he did enough to secure himself an appearance in the second round. The goal for Ruud in London is simple. He wants to collect some points, being motivated to do well. His methods though received interest from the media and he was asked about them.

Well, I mean, people can have any opinion they want. Everyone is entitled to have their opinion. But to me, you know, honestly it's a long year, and at some point during the summer, at least to me, there has to be some kind of break for the players.

— Ruud on his Wimbledon preparation<br>

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Ruud doesn't really enjoy playing tennis on grass so for him the break in the summer comes by virtue of skipping a few grass events. It might not be the most popular thing to say but we've seen players skip certain parts of the year before.

To me, the natural and the obvious choice is to skip a couple of the grass court events because I play every single tournament on clay every week. You know, you get exhausted in the end. Also topping it off with making final of Roland Garros, I was quite tired afterwards.

Some might think that him skipping the grass prep events means that he's not taking Wimbledon seriously but he denied that. He enjoys the event for what it is but after a very long clay season, Ruud simply needed a break.

To me, it's an easy choice. It doesn't mean that I take Wimbledon not serious enough or anything. I really like to perform well here. But it's just a matter of physically being ready and being ready for the second part of the season.