Casper Ruud has shared his experience of facing Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Monte-Carlo Masters final, after defeating World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the tournament’s semifinals. Despite being skilled on clay courts, Ruud had a tough time against Tsitsipas, who secured the first set at 6-1. Although the Norwegian displayed resilience in the second set, he eventually succumbed to Tsitsipas 6-4.
In a post-match press conference, Ruud addressed if playing Djokovic in the semis had impacted his final performance. While stating it mostly had not, he acknowledged that the challenging conditions on the court made a difference. The 2023 French Open finalist revealed that he emotionally felt prepared to win against Tsitsipas, but unfortunately, he couldn’t perform well at the essential moments.
Reflecting upon his career, Ruud pointed out that in 2022, he ranked World No. 2 and was close to becoming the World No. 1. However, his performance has since been inconsistent, and he has often failed to triumph over big names in tennis. Looking back to the French Open final, he admitted that Djokovic easily defeated him. Nonetheless, Ruud remains hopeful and continues to strive for better results, most recently reaching the Los Cabos Open final before losing to Jordan Thompson.
