Casper Ruud visits Rafael Nadal: tennis and golf - but what about the yacht?
Norway's number one Casper Ruud prepares for the French Open at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor. In addition to tennis, there are other activities available.
by tennisnet.com
last edit:
May 26, 2021, 09:49 am
Casper Ruud added a real highlight to his so far very strong 2021 season on Saturday: The Norwegian won the final of the ATP Tour 250 tournament in Geneva against Denis Shapovalov in two tight sets, jumping to 16th place in the ATP -World ranking, which also gives him a better starting position at the French Open, which start with the main draw matches in Paris on Sunday. On the other hand, after his semi-finals in Monte Carlo and Madrid, Ruud is certainly one of those players who the big favorites want to avoid in the early rounds.
The biggest favorite is of course Rafael Nadal , who is aiming for title number 14 at the Bois de Boulogne. Nadal wrote in full in Barcelona and Rome, not always without problems, but then again irresistible in the decisive phases. By the way, Nadal had more problems in Rome than Ruud in Geneva against Denis Shapovalov, who will be absent in Paris due to an injury.
Ruud and Nadal - two outstanding golfers
Maybe the two top players are exchanging ideas in Manacor these days. Because Casper Ruud has once again rented a few training units in Rafael Nadal's academy, in contrast to previous years, the 22-year-old from Oslo now plays almost at eye level with the great clay court master. The first meeting on the ATP tour is still pending.
However, tennis is not everything that Ruud and Nadal usually do on Mallorca. The golf course is calling too. "Rafa has a handicap of zero or even below, so that's very good," Ruud told the ATP website. “I'm at 1.8, so it's very close. At the moment he is still winning. Next time I'll try to beat him. "
Fishing is also a shared passion of Casper Ruud and Rafael Nadal. The Scandinavian, however, prefers salmon fishing, which is a hopeless endeavor in the Mediterranean. Nadal should rather visit him in Norway, so Ruud. On the other hand, there is one more thing on Mallorca that the youngster would like to see firsthand: “Rafa has not yet invited me to his new boat. Let's see if that happens. "