Thiem's 7: Interview with Casper Ruud - "Erling Haaland is the greatest Norwegian sports star"
Casper Ruud fought hard at Thiem's 7, but had to travel home to Norway without winning the match. In the tennisnet interview, Ruud talks about his first tournament victory, the Corona period in Norway and his second great sporting love.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jul 11, 2020, 11:11 am
tennisnet : Despite three defeats - was Kitzbühel worth a trip for you?
Casper Ruud : Definitely. I had three difficult matches against three very strong opponents. I just went in and tried to do my best. The first game after a four-month break against Dominic is of course particularly demanding, but the match was then close. And I also had a few chances against Jan-Lennard. And I was in the Champions tie-break against Andrey.
tennisnet : Last year you were here in the semi-finals of the ATP Tour 250 tournament. Why do you like to play in Kitzbühel? And so good?
Ruud : I always try to play heavy with my forehand. With a lot of topspin. And at the altitude of Kitzbühel, the spin still gets a higher jump. That is a big advantage for me. But others also benefit: Dominic with his kick-serve gets even more bounce and is extremely difficult to return. These things help the clay court players. On the other hand, Struff or Rublev play very quickly. I often didn't have enough time to beat them against the two.
tennisnet : You won your first tournament on the ATP tour in Buenos Aires this year. How important was it for you to have reached this milestone? Other young players like Félix Auger-Aliassime are still waiting for it.
Ruud : Not so incredibly important. It is more important to improve. And then as a good player you will get your chances of winning tournaments.
tennisnet : Your next came a week later in Santiago in the final against Thiago Seyboth Wild ...
Ruud : Yes, I had a very good trip to South America. And since the first tournament victory is always a special one, I will always remember it. But I am sure that Félix will soon get his first title. He has already been in five or six finals. In tennis it is a very fine line between winning and losing. Few points can determine the victory.
Ruud - "I played a lot of golf in Indian Wells"
tennisnet : How have you spent the past four months during the pandemic?
Ruud: I flew to Indian Wells to play the tournament there. Two hours after we landed in Los Angeles, we got the message: tournament canceled. If I had bought the tickets a day later, I might not have flown over there. I stayed there for a week and played a lot of golf, enjoyed the "free" week. My father also plays golf, the weather is always nice there. And at that time there were more COVID 19 cases in Europe than in the United States because the pandemic had just got there. But after the number of people infected there, I flew back to Norway, where I have spent the past four months.
tennisnet : To what extent have you been able to train in the past weeks and months?
Ruud : We were lucky. When I got back to Norway, I had to quarantine for two weeks. I used these two weeks at home for fitness exercises. And two days before my quarantine was over, they opened the tennis courts again. As long as you play with someone from the same household. And in Norway I share a house with my assistant trainer. So that worked well. My father was on the court too, but he wasn't allowed to touch the balls.
tennisnet : We heard that you sometimes train in Oslo with the ski giants Henrik Kristoffersen and Kjetil Jansrud. Is that true?
Ruud : Well, in Norway we have a training center where the Olympic athletes can train. Sometimes the two are there, but I would not say that we train together. Sometimes you meet the alpine skiers, sometimes the soccer players. I haven't worked there so often because I use a different fitness center. But during the pandemic the only thing the Olympic Center was open was because of government approval.
Big fan of Liverpool FC
tennisnet : How is your popularity in Norway? Are you recognized on the street in Oslo?
Ruud : After my match against Roger Federer at the French Open 2019, people started to recognize me more. Everyone in Norway knows who Federer is. And when a young Norwegian plays against someone as big as Federer - not just the greatest tennis player, but the greatest athlete - you get attention. But it's not like people start screaming and wanting photos of me. They come up to me and congratulate me on my achievements. And I wish you the best of luck. It's not crazy, just nice. And I have a deal with Eurosport that broadcast all of my matches. So it's easy for Norwegians to follow me.
tennisnet : Speaking of attention: Erling Haaland first inspired the fans in Austria, then in Germany. How popular is Haaland in Norway?
Ruud : If you think that Haaland is big in Germany, you have to come to Norway. Because there he is already the biggest sports star ever. He is an exceptional soccer player. I hope that he and I will have a good career because soccer and tennis are great international sports. I am a big football fan.
tennisnet : Which team?
Ruud : I'm a big Liverpool fan, so the last two years have been very good for me as a fan. I hope one day Haaland will play at Liverpool.