French Open 2022: Casper Ruud - "I'm not the first victim"
Casper Ruud didn't stand a chance against Rafael Nadal in the first Grand Slam final of his career. However, his record after the French Open was extremely positive.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Jun 05, 2022, 07:59 pm
It was an ending Casper Ruud didn't deserve. In the third set of the French Open final, the Norwegian was presented in phases by Rafael Nadal, and he was only granted eight points in the final section. After two hours and 18 minutes Ruud had to congratulate his great idol on the clear 6:3, 6:3 and 6:0 success.
"Today I felt what it's like to play against you in a final. I'm not the first victim, there were many more before that," Ruud said to his opponent in the victory, Rosen. But the 23-year-old could also be more than satisfied with his tournament at the Bois de Boulogne, as he was in a major final for the first time in his career.
Ruud matures at the Rafa Nadal Academy
"I'll probably remember this match for the rest of my career. I think there are certain moments in every career that are more memorable than others and this one will be at the top of my list," said Ruud, who has been training at the Rafa Nadal Academy for several years and has developed into one of the best players in the world.
On Sunday, however, Ruud had no chance, from the point of 3: 1 in the second set he lost eleven games in a row and had to ungrudgingly acknowledge Nadal's superiority. Especially on the backhand side, the world number six seemed massively overwhelmed, which of course was also due to the poisonous forehand of his opponent.
Ruud wants more
"At the end of the day, hopefully I can tell my grandkids that I played against Rafa in the final on Chatrier and they'll probably say, 'Wow, did you?' I'll say yes. I'll probably enjoy this moment for a long time," but Ruud didn't want to mope for too long.
The goal, according to Ruud, is clear: he wants to play more Grand Slam finals - and win them if possible. On this June 5th, someone who would also grant him the same was still on the other side of the net. "I would like to see him with the trophy in the future," said Nadal at his final press conference.
Here is the individual tableau for men
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