Ruud and an inexplicable response: "My goal for the rest of the tour is.."

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Casper Ruud ended up falling in the quarterfinals of the ATP Barcelona 2025. He couldn't cope with a rival who made things very difficult for him like Holger Rune, who defeated him in two comfortable sets (6-4 6-2). The Norwegian arrived in Barcelona after a very poor result in the Monte Carlo Masters 1000, where he lost to Alexei Popyrin in the round of 16 after having a comfortable lead in the third set.

The expectations that had been placed on Casper Ruud at the Conde de Godó 2025 were high, as the Norwegian lifted the title for the first time in the 2024 edition. At the beginning of the tournament, perhaps Alcaraz didn't seem as much of a favorite as he does now since he arrived with 'residual effects' from Monte Carlo and with some lack of confidence in his tennis. After two matches in which he didn't fully convince against Daniel Galán in the first round and Hamad Medjedovic in the second, he eventually lost to Holger Rune. Ruud had a press conference to talk about his match and the goals he sets for the rest of the season.

- A very dangerous Rune

"He was better than me in all aspects. There are things I could have done better, but he played at a higher level than mine. I tried my best, but it wasn't enough. He put a lot of pressure on me on returns, and his backhand caused me a lot of trouble. It was impressive; I tried to open up the court a lot, but he made the difference in crucial points."

- Objectives in the clay court season

Casper is regarded as one of the best players on clay courts, but the expectations he sets for himself are surprising: "My goal at the start of the season was to reach the quarterfinals in every tournament I was going to play. I couldn't do it in Monte Carlo, here I couldn't defend the title, but well, last year I started the season very well and then had quick defeats in Madrid and Rome. I want to have a bit more stability in the upcoming weeks and months; my goal is to reach the quarterfinals in all the remaining tournaments. Having that goal I think is ambitious because reaching the quarters means you are among the top players in the tournament. I'll see how I perform in Madrid; I reached the quarterfinals once before, and I hope to match that and have a great tournament."

- Areas for improvement in his game

"Today my shots weren't entirely effective, and I'm not sure why. I feel that I'm not doing anything different from when I was playing better, especially with my forehand. My game is based on hitting a great forehand, but in the matches I've played here, I haven't felt entirely comfortable. I don't know if it's the tension in the racket, but I'm looking forward to going to Madrid and trying to regain confidence in my shots."

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