Casper Ruud sheds light on his unresolved feud with Nick Kyrgios despite having “no hard feelings”

Casper Ruud sheds light on his unresolved feud with Nick Kyrgios despite having “no hard feelings”

Casper Ruud and Nick Kyrgios - FirstSportz

Australian player Nick Kyrgios has been one of the breakthrough performers of the year. He reached his maiden Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon. Though he lost the finals against Novak Djokovic, he managed to cement his name among the elites. But his sudden on-court outbreak of emotions has always been the talk of the town. Norwegian Casper Ruud talked about the type of bond he shares with the Aussie while admitting that they didn’t share any greetings on Christmas.

Bashing of racquets and verbal spats with either linesmen or the spectators are some of his common behavioral traits. He has been fined quite a number of times for showcasing extreme emotions during matches. But, there haven’t been many changes in his behavior. The confrontations during matches have often ended up in a long-lasting feud with the players. His ugly spat with Stefanos Tsitsipas is one of the most talked about feuds in recent times.

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The 2022 US Open finalist faced the 2022 Wimbledon finalist in the Indian Wells Masters during the initial stages of the competition. Though the Aussie got the better of Ruud, they don’t share a good relationship off the court. Ruud admitted that Kyrgios is a great player and looks to maintain a cordial relationship. He even jokingly states that his next encounter with World No 22 would be great fun for everyone as well as viewers.

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“You know, I didn’t receive a Christmas card from him; nor did he receive one from me. But if we see each other we can say hello and there are no hard feelings. Obviously, there was a little feud, and the media always wants to make more than it is. Nick is such a talented player, and he can beat anyone. I mean, you don’t want to have a feud going on against him because he will probably want to bring his A-game every place. There is really nothing going on. What happened in Rome many years ago happened, and he got the better of me last time in Indian Wells,” said Casper Ruud during an interview.

Continuing his train of thoughts, the World No 3 further said “He came to me in Laver Cup last year in Boston and congratulated me after my victory and said that I was doing great and so on. So he’s been positive and cheering me on for the last year or so. So, I mean, it was fun also to see him do so well in Wimbledon, you know, being there, like he said, without a coach and coaching himself to the final. He’s a fun character to look at and watch on TV, so if we play, it’s going to be hopefully a fun match. It always seems to be fun when he plays, but that’s many days in case that happens, so let’s see. There are two matches to be played first, but you can always hope for a fun match like this.“

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Nick Kyrgios withdrew from the 2023 United Cup

Nick Kyrgios - FirstSportz
Nick Kyrgios – FirstSportz

He won the Citi Open but had a disappointing fourth-round exit at the US Open. Nick Kyrgios withdrew from the semi-finals of the 2022 Japan Open due to a recurring knee injury. The Wimbledon finalist also withdrew from the Swiss Indoors in order to get adequate rest. It was a remarkable year for the former World No 13. He started the year ranked outside the Top 100, and ended the year ranked in the Top 20.

The 7-time ATP singles winner was hopeful of making a strong start in 2023 with his participation at the United Cup. While he was looked upon as one of the favorites, his withdrawal from the tournament was quite shocking. He backed out a few minutes before the press conference citing a niggle. Kyrgios chose not to risk his body for the United Cup and withdrew from the mixed-gender event.

The 1-time doubles Grand Slam champion looks ahead to defend his title at the 2023 Australian Open with his compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis. Nick Kyrgios has taken a shocking decision to return at the 2023 French Open after five years. He had earlier stated that the French Open ‘sucked’ and should be removed from the ATP tour. However, he admitted that his decision to play in the clay court was due to his girlfriend who had the desire to play Paris.

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