“It just seems like it’s made for those conditions,” Casper Ruud backs Rafael Nadal to claim his 15th French Open title
Casper Ruud believes that Rafael Nadal remains the favorite to claim his 15th French Open title this year.
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Rafael Nadal (Source: French Open)
The clay court season is just around the corner, as 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal begins his road to recovery. 2022 French Open finalist Casper Ruud believes that Rafael Nadal will return to his best in Paris, after suffering an injury at the Australian Open earlier this year. The Norwegian brushed aside talks of the Spaniard’s retirement, and stated that he has been hearing such rumors since a while now.
Casper Ruud further added that Rafael Nadal is made for the conditions at the French Open. The 36-year-old claimed his 14th title in Paris last year, after claiming a straight sets victory over Casper Ruud in the finals. He also commented on the 2019 French Open final between Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal, where the Austrian went down fighting despite playing at a high level.
“Well, I think that in the last five or six years, as I have participated in the tour, there has been talk that this would be the last year in which Rafa wins. This will be the last year. This year someone better has gone and he’s tired, he’s injured, he’s old and I don’t know what to say,” said Ruud.
“It just seems like it’s made for those conditions. Playing best of five sets. I remember the match Dominic talked about at the beginning of 2019, the final. I remember watching it on TV and I said I was very impressed because Dominic played so well in the first set and still lost 6-3. I was thinking, what the hell can you do to beat him? Because Rafa just had an answer for everything,” Ruud added.
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“I still feel like whether Dominic or I shouldn’t be rooting for ourselves,” Casper Ruud on Rafael Nadal’s French Open dominance
Dominic Thiem was involved in the same interview alongside Casper Ruud. The Austrian also believes that Rafael Nadal remains the man to beat in Paris this year. Casper Ruud claimed that despite their prowess on clay courts, they should not be counting themselves as the favorites in the presence of Rafael Nadal.
“So, I don’t know, I still feel like whether Dominic or I shouldn’t be rooting for ourselves . I think we can both say we wouldn’t be surprised if Rafa came up with a superb level once again and won for the 15th time , I wouldn’t be surprised. because he probably uses these weeks and these months while preparing exactly for, you know, Roland Garros,” he added.
There are a host of clay court tournaments in lead up to the French Open, with as many as three Masters tournaments on the calendar. Rafael Nadal has enjoyed plenty of success in these tournaments over the last decade and a half. Casper Ruud believes that irrespective of his form in lead up to the French Open, Rafael Nadal always manages to step up his game when it matters the most.
“It doesn’t matter if he loses Monte Carlo or loses in Rome or Madrid. The only thing he probably has on his mind these days is to be fit, to be healthy and to be ready for Roland Garros. And he’s going to try one more time and if he’s in the right way and feeling the ball. Well, I don’t see anyone other than him as a favourite,” Ruud concluded.
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Nirmit Mehta
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