Casper Ruud: "Always find a way to criticize me"
After a bumpy start to the season in Estoril , Casper Ruud was able to win his first title in the 2023 calendar year. Following the success in the final, the Norwegian also spoke about his standing in the international media.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Apr 10, 2023, 02:05 pm
Casper Ruud reached the finals in three of the top five tournaments (by points) on the calendar last year. The Norwegian is second in the ATP charts. And Casper Ruud has won three titles on the ATP tour. A dazzling season, which was usually rewarded with a good deal of media coverage. But was that really the case with the Norwegian?
Not really, says Ruud himself. The fifth in the world rankings won the number one title of the season at Estoril's ATP 250 event on his favorite underground sand. And then explains that his standing in the international media does not always match his performance on the pitch.
Does Ruud lack recognition?
"People don't write much about me," Ruud explained. "I think that's because I don't have the most striking game and the most beautiful winners, the most beautiful forehand, the most beautiful backhand, the most beautiful serve," said the Norwegian. But at the end of the day he wins a lot of matches, after all the ranking is based on the last 52 weeks. Accordingly, "I won a lot of matches last year."
Instead of honoring the achievements of the fifth in the world rankings, Ruud is often confronted with criticism from the media. "People always find a way to criticize me, no matter what," Ruud said. "They say that my path was easier or that I played a few smaller tournaments." But hardly anyone sees the other side of the coin: "Perhaps I should be given credit for the clever approach."