Alexander Zverev won’t bet money on Casper Ruud’s French Open chances against Novak Djokovic in the final

Zverev acknowledged that Ruud did not reach the final just by chance and that he became the finalist only because he is a good player.

Alexander Zverev won’t bet money on Casper Ruud’s French Open chances against Novak Djokovic in the final

L-Casper Ruud, M-Alexander Zverev, R-Novak Djokovic (Images via ATP and Twitter)

Alexander Zverev reveals his thoughts ahead of the 2023 French Open final between Casper Ruud and Novak Djokovic. The Norwegian, who defeated Zverev in the semi-final, will face the 3rd-seed on Sunday (June 11) on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris. Djokovic, on the other hand, overcame top seed Carlos Alcaraz to make it to his 34th Grand Slam final.

Zverev acknowledged that Ruud did not reach the final just by chance and that he became the finalist only because he is a good player. However, the German thinks Djokovic will emerge victorious. This is the reason why if he had to bet money, he wouldn’t have put that much on Ruud despite thinking that he can have a chance to win the match.

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“Casper is not here by chance. If you are in the final of a Grand Slam tournament, you have every chance because you are a very good player,” Zverev said after his defeat at the semifinals for the third successive year. On the other hand, Ruud reached his second successive Roland Garros final. Last year, Rafael Nadal defeated him in straight sets to clinch the coveted trophy for the record 14th time. Ruud also made it to the 2022 US Open final but got decimated by Carlos Alcaraz in four sets.

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“Is Novak the favorite? Yes, of course. There is no doubt. He knows how it goes, he knows how to do it. But Casper plays very well. If I had to bet money, I might not bet too much on Casper (smiles).” On Ruud’s chances,” Yes, there is. He plays extraordinary tennis and I think he deserves to be in the final,” he added.

Related: French Open 2023: How much prize money will ‘CHAMPION’ Iga Swiatek take home?

Alexander Zverev believes Novak Djokovic will feel pressure heading into French Open final

Alexander Zverev believes Novak Djokovic will feel pressure heading into French Open final
L-Novak Djokovic R- Casper Ruud (Images via Twitter and India Today)

Novak Djokovic is chasing history. The man has lifted a total of 22 Grand Slams and is tied with Rafael Nadal. Now he finds an opportunity to surpass the Spaniard to achieve something for the first time in men’s tennis.

But Alexander Zverev reminded all that Djokovic, though he plays like a machine, is only a human and humans succumb to pressure. He cited the example of the 2015 US Open final where the 36-year-old had the chance to win the Calendar Slam (that is bagging all four major Slams in a year). However, he fell to Daniil Medvedev in the summit clash. Zverev also acknowledged that Casper Ruud will also enter the match to play for his maiden Slam, which in turn will be a pressurized situation for him also.

“The pressure, you know, we are all human. Novak is human. We all feel it. So I think for him, for Casper, that’s the best scenario, to be honest,” he said at the post-match press conference.

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