Casper Ruud was part of Rafael Nadal's Academy at one point and his game looks very similar to that of Nadal and it's not a chance.
Nadal has been a hero of his for much of his youth with the Norwegian going to Paris to watch Nadal play at Roland Garros. Having a father as a former player certainly had its benefits but Ruud never imagined he would face the same Nadal in a Roland Garros final not even a decade later.
That is what happened last year but it wasn't a good time as Nadal cruised ruthlessly in the final. It was a good learning experience and a chance to see what makes him so hard to play up close as opposed to the stands as he revealed in a talk with Eurosport.
If you want to beat Rafa at Roland-Garros, when you are going out to the match, you are thinking, ‘OK, I'm going to have to play the best match of my life for at least four-and-a-half hours because even though I'm playing great, he will play unbelievable back.
Ruud wasn't abysmal in the final as he was playing a really good event overall though he did play the final a bit worse. The problem was that Nadal was simply better and just a little better but quite a bit better culminating in a 3rd set bagel.
If I play well, he [Nadal] plays well, so it's going to be a long match. Not many players are prepared to do that I think and that's why you have seen some of the clay court players be so successful on clay.
In talking about Nadal, Ruud also mentioned Djokovic and Federer whom he considers probably the second best clay players ever. The problem for them is that they're achievments on the surface pale in comparison to what Nadal has been able to do. The king of clay is a fitting title and nobody is ever taking it away.
0 Comments