Ruud: "Having Alcaraz is the best possible news for tennis"

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Despite his defeat in the first match of the 2024 Laver Cup, the Norwegian Casper Ruud did not hesitate to talk to Puntodebreak in a conversation where he showed his closeness and honesty, addressing current issues such as the rigors of the calendar. Additionally, he praised Carlos Alcaraz with whom he is enjoying these days in Berlin.

Few athletes generate widespread sympathy among fans and rivals like Casper Ruud does. At 25 years old, the Norwegian is striving to stay in the top 10 in a somewhat uneven season which he aims to brighten up in this final stretch of the year. His participation in the 2024 Laver Cup began with a loss to Cerúndolo, but that didn't stop him from addressing the microphone of Puntodebreak and making interesting statements on various matters.

This is your fourth consecutive participation in the Laver Cup. What makes this competition special for you and what would you say is its great advantage over other events?

It's always fun and enriching to spend time with the best in the world and to learn from them. The team atmosphere is fantastic, and for me, it's an honor to represent Europe; it's where I was born and developed as a person and a tennis player, and I have a strong European sentiment. This week is important for our sport, as it gives us the opportunity to honor a legend like Rod Laver and learn from the great tennis icons who are with us here.

In what aspects of your game do you think you have the most room for improvement to continue evolving as a tennis player?

I am clear that I would have liked to win more matches so far this season, and I believe I have the key to keep progressing. The most important thing is to add more weapons to my tennis, to be more unpredictable for my opponents. It would be important for me to acquire the ability to make more variations in my game, change rhythms naturally, both with flat and slice shots, as well as coming to the net more often when in control. I'm improving in the mental management of defeats; it's not as difficult for me to accept them, and I learn from them, but I must continue working on these aspects of my tennis.

There is a lot of talk about the toughness of the current tennis calendar and how it can affect the sporting careers of many players. What is your opinion on this?

"There are many tournaments, and too many of them are mandatory. If you want to be among the best in the world, you can hardly take weeks off. The tennis season is longer than in any other sport; we compete at a very high level for ten months a year, and the consequences if you lower the intensity are immediate in the rankings," he stated before calling for solutions.

"I hope that at some point decisions will be made and the necessary adjustments will be implemented, but I fear that this will not happen in the short term future. Many agreements have already been signed with sponsors and the ATP has commitments with various events for the coming years. All I ask is that when it comes time to make changes, the tennis players are taken into account, that they ask for our opinion. It's a complicated situation, but what cannot happen is that we have mandatory tournaments from January to November," he concluded.

I would like to ask you about Carlos Alcaraz and what it means to spend time with him this week off the court. Do you perceive something special in him both on and off the court, something characteristic of the great historical sports stars?

I can only say positive things about Carlos. Having the opportunity to spend time with him this week is great because he is a fantastic guy. What he is doing is incredible; having a young player like him is great news for tennis. He can do amazing things on the court; he has a talent rarely seen in this sport, and I have great admiration for him because what he is doing is remarkably meritorious. I hope he can continue to improve and be able to defeat him in future battles, but I expect him to continue to have great success for many years to come.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ruud: "Tener a Alcaraz es la mejor noticia posible para el tenis"