Casper Ruud felt no chance in the Roland Garros final against Rafael Nadal on Sunday. The Norwegian said his first Grand Slam final will stay with him forever.
“I said before the final that I thought it would be the toughest challenge to play against Nadal here and now I know that’s right,” Ruud said at his press conference after the final battle. “The statistics speak for themselves. He has never lost a final here and there is a reason for that. I am one of the victims he has wiped off in a final on this track.”
The 23-year-old Ruud was unable to offer a match to the thirteen-year-older Nadal. Only in the second set did the Norwegian take a break, but that was skilfully brushed away by the Spanish clay king, after which Ruud ran off without a chance: 6-3, 6-3 and 6-0.
Ruud is the tenth tennis player to have lost to Nadal in the Roland Garros final. He follows in the footsteps of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, among others. The Spaniard won all his fourteen finals in Paris.
Ruud was not surprised by Nadal’s strong play on clay, because the two often trained together in Mallorca in recent months. “But the conditions were different today. I’m playing a Grand Slam final for the first time. I didn’t think that would affect me until I got out on track today. It was hard to feel comfortable in such a full stadium.”
“As the match progressed, I felt better and more at ease. But it was challenging. I played against the tennis player with the most Grand Slam titles. It wasn’t easy. But at least I tried. “
Casper Ruud soon got over his disappointment after the lost final against Rafael Nadal.
Casper Ruud soon got over his disappointment after the lost final against Rafael Nadal. Photo: Getty Images
‘I will remember this for the rest of my career’
Ruud did not want to be disappointed for too long after his lost final battle. “I will remember this game for the rest of my career, because this is the biggest game I have ever played.”
“I’ve always watched Nadal on television for the past 17 years. It was a tough challenge, but I did enjoy it. I hope one day I can tell my grandchildren about this.”
Despite the lost final, Ruud does have something tangible left from his advance at Roland Garros. He is the new number six in the world on Monday, his highest ranking ever in the world rankings. In addition, he may add 1.5 million euros in prize money.
Rafael Nadal’s All Roland Garros Titles
