Casper Ruud blown away by the ‘crazy’ motivation of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic for almost two decades
Casper Ruud has played two out of the three Grand Slam finals against the Big 3 members, both coming at Roland Garros.
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Casper Ruud, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic (images via X)
World No. 8 Casper Ruud has admitted that he cannot understand how the Big 3 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic) stayed motivated for two decades. These three legends created one of the most dominant eras in tennis, winning a total of 66 Grand Slam titles.
Two of those Grand Slam titles came against Ruud in finals. The Norwegian discussed this on the “Nothing Major” podcast, where he shared insights on the Big 3’s exceptional motivation levels.
I’ve understood how crazy it is from Rafa, Roger, and Novak… that they performed every single year for like 17, 18 years. They’ve been so good. How have they been able to keep the motivation up? How they’ve been able to be strict with themselves…
Casper Ruud said on Nothing Major Podcast
Ruud faced Nadal in the 2022 Roland Garros final and Djokovic in the 2023 Roland Garros final but was unable to win a set against either. The 25-year-old’s only win against Djokovic came in the semifinals of this year’s Monte Carlo.
How have they been able to win like 70 matches every year? Year in, year out. I just don’t understand how it’s possible. It’s one thing to do it 3, 4, or 5 years. But for them it’s been almost 20 years of pure domination.
Casper Ruud added
Ruud’s only meeting with Federer was also at Roland Garros, in the third round of the 2019 tournament. This makes him one of the few players on the ATP tour to have competed against all three members of the Big 3.
Casper Ruud’s ATP World Tour Finals qualification hangs in the balance
Casper Ruud’s hopes for the Nitto ATP Finals are uncertain as the season nears the Paris Masters. The Norwegian currently sits seventh in the standings, with four spots still available.
Ruud has 3,855 points this season and may not even need to finish in the top eight to qualify for Italy. This depends on Novak Djokovic‘s participation. Djokovic, currently sixth in the standings, has indicated that he does not plan to defend his title from last year. He has also withdrawn from the Paris Masters, where he was the defending champion.
This gives Ruud some breathing room, as he knows that one strong tournament could secure his spot in the Nitto ATP Finals. The three-time Grand Slam finalist’s best performances this season have once again been on clay, including winning the Barcelona Open and reaching the final in Monte Carlo.
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Fahad Hamid
(625 Articles Published)