Ruud and the evolution of a ‘complete and aggressive’ player

As he almost always does, Casper Ruud has reached the last sixteen of the US Open without making too much of a splash. The Norwegian, who came back from two sets down on Friday to see off Juncheng Shang, will face Taylor Fritz (2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head) on Sunday with a place in the quarters up for grabs.

With two ATP Tour titles to his name so far in 2024 (Barcelona and Geneva), Ruud now has a chance to stay in the fight for the big prizes at Flushing Meadows.

“I think it’s been a very positive year, he’s been very consistent in most tournaments, allowing him to have a stable place among the 10 best players and to keep growing as a player,” Pedro Clar, Ruud’s coach, told ATPTour.com. “The season is very long but we believe he’s in great form in terms of his game, his fitness, and mentally. You always have to take it match by match but you also have to believe you can do something big here at the US Open and in the remainder of the season.”

Ruud, of course, knows what it is to ‘do something big’ in the season’s final Grand Slam. In 2022, the current No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings reached the final, where he bowed out to Carlos Alcaraz in the match where the No. 1 spot was also at stake.

How has Ruud changed on hard court since the final two years ago?

“Although 2022 was the better year in terms of results, I think in terms of his game he’s a more complete player, because he’s managed to be more aggressive from the back of the court,” offered Clar. “He has more variety of shots on his backhand and he’s also improved a lot on the return. I think these things are key to being a better player on fast court,” continued the Spanish coach from the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.

“Another aspect I’d point to is the mental side. The fact that he has consolidated himself among the Top 10 for a few years now means he is training hard every day to improve every aspect of his tennis,” he continued. “The demands at this level are very high and you have to do that in order to stay there.”

A professional since 2015, Ruud has managed to evolve his game from top to bottom, changing from a clay-court specialist to an all-round danger man, ready to be competitive on any surface.

“I think throughout all these years, he has progressed in every aspect, both in terms of his tennis, his fitness and mentally, but the tennis part is undoubtedly where he has progressed the most,” noted Clar. “When we started, Casper was more of a clay-court style player, his game was mainly based on a good serve and playing with his forehand, but as the years have gone by he has become a more complete and aggressive player,” explained the coach.

“In the end, you have to keep thinking and working to improve his game, because with the level on tour, if you don’t think, you get left behind.”

Ruud’s personality, his character and his values, have also been very important in his tennis journey. They are the key to player and coach enjoying such a good, healthy relationship after so long together.

“I’ve always said that coaching Casper is a privilege, both because of how he is on the court and how he is off it,” said Clar. “Of course, there is tension and goals that demand the utmost professionalism from the whole team, but the human side is always there, which makes everything easier from day to day,” he continued. “Since we started working together, we’ve always had a good feeling and trust in one another, and that has only grown as the years have passed, which is of great importance to me.”

Of course, this is a blessing if you gradually want to aspire to big things.

“He’s never reacted badly to anything and that shows how he is as a player and a person,” the Spanish coach explained. “Casper has some great values that were instilled by his family, I think you can see that on court and it characterises him as a player.”

- This story has been republished from ATPTour.com/es