The unprecedented king of clay taking on the latest prince in waiting – be it Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, or Carlos Alcaraz. The shot’s adaptability and versatility have a huge role to play, and it is what sets him apart from other claycourt specialists, perhaps also explaining his solid results on other surfaces.įrench Open 2022 Semifinal: Casper Ruud to meet Rafael Nadal in the final | Also ReadĪbout that meeting with Rafa 😍 | #RolandGarros /4fSnqJjQ1KĮvery time Nadal takes on one of the better young claycourters on tour, the headlines are invariably dominated by the long-drawn-out narrative of the master taking on the latest upstart. Ruud’s footspeed and court coverage is solid, and the depth of his groundstrokes allow him to dictate the longer baseline exchanges.īut, the Norwegian’s most distinct threat is a sledgehammer of a forehand, which he employs with a ton of spin allowing the ball to bounce very high and push his opponent to the back of the court. While he did win a hardcourt title at last year’s San Diego Open, so much of his game is tailormade for clay.

Holger Rune: The teenager who eliminated Stefanos Tsitsipas from the French Open | Also ReadĮach of these victories were in four sets, and for a player who has little best-of-five experience, this illustrates how his claycourt consistency on tour – last year, he became the first man in 10 years to win three consecutive titles in as many weeks – has translated to success at Majors.įor much of his career, Ruud has been considered a specialist on the red dirt.

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