Djokovic to retire! Ruud senior comments on his son’s ambitions

Casper Ruud has been a bit overshadowed by other tennis players lately. Still, he has achieved some very interesting results this year, which he can build on. How does his father and coach see the upcoming generation of players competing against the legendary Novak Djokovic and what is the main goal of his son’s career?

Although Casper Ruud has already enjoyed a tournament title once this year, this year is rather a slight step backwards for the Norwegian tennis player. Last year he enjoyed triumph three times, the year before even on five occasions.

What hasn’t been can be. However, it will not be easy for the twenty-four-year-old tennis player. He has long achieved his best results on clay and will not enjoy matches on clay this year.

On the other hand, he was a pleasant surprise last year on the hard surface. At the US Open, he played the final against Alcaraz. But he failed in that and it was not his only defeat in a Grand Slam final.

Christian Ruud’s views

Ruud has a total of three final losses at the majors. Apart from the one mentioned at the US Open, he has also twice walked away defeated from the Roland Garros final.

His father, Christian Ruud, expressed his views on the final setbacks without undue scepticism. Every experience is good and a Grand Slam final is a great result in itself. And most importantly, his son has plenty of time for everything.

He also admits, with exaggeration, that what would most boost Casper’s chances of a Grand Slam title would be Djokovic’s retirement from tennis. More seriously, he then assesses the reasons why Djokovic is such a big obstacle for all tennis players of the upcoming generation.

For these players have seen Djokovic as their idol from an early age and it is all the more difficult for them to win against him now. “I think the respect for players like Djokovic or Nadal is a little bit unnecessarily high at the moment,” Ruud Sr. told the US Open website.

Conclusion

For Ruud, this season has been a new experience. He has not yet repeated his results from the last two years, although he did play the final of Roland Garros. The start of the season on the concrete was a big disappointment on his part. He has won only one of his three matches in North America so far.

Now he is preparing to defend his final appearance at the last Grand Slam of the season. He’s not likely to be one of the favourites. The resolve of the domestic tennis pack is exemplified by Tiafoe. Germany’s Zverev also seems to be getting into great shape.

Ruud has many more competitors than the legend from Serbia. So even his retirement from tennis would not guarantee success.

Sources: US Open, ATP