Casper Ruud isn't just a tennis player, but a part-time aficionado. When he is not playing, the best bet is that he is watching one of his peers play.
So when a reporter tries to defame one of his fellow ATP pros, Casper Ruud isn't going to stay muted. The Norwegian star responded to a tweet from Scott Barclay on X on whether John Isner's matches filled tennis fans with any excitement or a feeling of anticipation.
This came about in the wake of the big-serving American deciding to call time on his playing career at the end of the 2023 US Open. Ruud admitted he was indeed a big fan and watched several matches of Isner, some of which happened before the Norwegian star turned professional in 2015.
Isner's playing style isn't what many aspiring players resonate with, but ironically, he played a part in some very entertaining matches during his career. Ruud recalled Isner's marathon battle against Nicolas Mahut at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, which is officially the longest tennis match in history, and clocked a record 11 hours of match play, back when the man from Oslo was still in his early teens.
"Yes, I did, several times actually. When he was up 2 sets to 1 on Rafa at RG 2011, the longest match in history against Mahut at Wimbledon and when he won Miami open the last time it was played at Crandon park to name a few."
Ruud recalled Isner's close battle with his childhood idol Rafael Nadal at the 2011 Roland Garros where the American became the first player to extend Nadal the full five sets on his beloved Parisian clay but came up short of pulling off the upset.
The other match Ruud mentioned in his response was the 2018 Miami Open final in which Isner defeated Alexander Zverev to win the first and only Masters title of his career. It was also the last match to be held at Crandon Park before the tournament moved to a new home a year later.
Once the tweet gained some traction, especially because of Ruud's response, many tennis fans also defended retiring Isner, saying that he should get more respect. However, Barclay refused to back down, posting:
"People in my replies telling me to respect John Isner can rest easy in the knowledge that I will absolutely never respect John Isner."
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