Casper Ruud Showers Praise on Jannik Sinner’s “Too Robotic” Game on Tour

Casper Ruud has come to the defense of Jannik Sinner’s style of play after some media narratives claimed that the Italian star has become a robotic kind of player on the court following recent wins. Sinner and Ruud are both in the round of 16 of the Italian Open after beating their opponents in straight sets.

The narrative that Sinner has a robotic style of play has been in the media for quite some time, however, it gained more influence after the Italian star crushed Alexander Zverev at the Madrid Open final in 56 minutes. After the women’s final that lasted more than an hour, fans were expecting a scintillating tight contest in the men’s final, but it ended before it was enjoyable.

Some critics of the final noted that it was like a third-round match, where a top player was in a haste to beat a lower-ranked player and move into the next round as it never looked like a final from start to finish. However, the Madrid championship was Sinner’s fifth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 crown.

He was the eighth man to complete the Sunshine Double in March, claiming the Indian Wells and Miami Open. Sinner then claimed the Monte Carlo Masters after beating Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets. All Sinner’s final matches this season have ended in straight sets and have never crossed the two-hour and 15-minute mark.

Sinner’s critics have pointed out that there’s always something new to look forward to before Alcaraz takes on the court, whereas the same cannot be said for Sinner. Ruud, who is still seeking his first title this season was asked about it and Norwegian star showered praise on Sinner, while stressing that the Italian star’s consistent result on the court is all that matters at the moment:

I see a lot of people saying that he seems too robotic, not exactly criticizing him, but commenting. And when you understand how difficult tennis is, making it look robotic shows how good you are. This sport is not simple at all, and he makes everything seem easy and natural. It’s incredibly impressive.

Sinner defeated Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-4 in his opening match at the Italian Open on Saturday (May 9). The 24-year-old is seeking to win his fifth ATP Masters 1000 this season, which would be historic. He’s yet to lose a match since February. His last defeat came against Jakub Mensik in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open.

Casper Ruud hopes to continue with his good record at the Italian Open

Casper Ruud made his debut at the Italian Open in 2016 and made it to the third round after beating Dan Evans and Nick Kyrgios. A year later, he then got to the semi-finals for the first time in his career after beating Marin Cilic and Matteo Berrettini. He reached back-to-back semi-finals from 2020 to 2023.

It was only at the 2024 edition of the event that he suffered a surprising early exit after losing to Miomir Kecmanović in the second round. The Rome Masters was one of his best tournaments, he admitted during the aforementioned press conference that he hopes to continue with his good form in Rome:

But beyond that, I think everything is quite open. Nowadays, all matches seem open, and in practically every tournament, someone unexpected emerges and ends up with a great result. In my career, this tournament has been one of the most successful for me. I have reached the semifinals here on three different occasions, and also made the quarterfinals last year. I have experience playing good tennis here in Rome, and I hope that can continue this year.

Ruud failed to defend the Madrid Open championship, which saw him drop out of the top 15. He crashed out in the quarter-finals. He has an opportunity to redeem himself at the Italian Open and will face Lorenzo Musetti in the round of 16. Musetti has struggled with form since returning from injury, but can spring a surprise on Tuesday (May 11).

Also Read: Darren Cahill Rejects the Term “Robot” To Refer to Jannik Sinner’s Style of Play