Ruud: "If you go to every tournament thinking you are going to win, it can be very disappointing"

Casper Ruud is in need of victories that will help him rediscover his tennis and allow him to compete again for the most important titles, at least on clay, his favorite surface. The two-time finalist of Roland Garros (2022, 2023) and champion of the Conde de Godó in 2023 is not going through a good period in terms of results and performance. For now, he fulfilled in his debut at the Mutua Madrid Open against Arthur Rinderknech (6-3, 6-4) and does not seem very concerned after setting "realistic goals". About this, his game plan and the obsessive control to avoid doping positives, he spoke in the mixed zone.

Feelings after the victory

"I am happy with today's victory. Despite losing my serve at the start of the first set, I recovered it immediately, and I think that was the key. From then on, we went from 2-2 to 5-2, and I won the first set. At the beginning of the second, I broke again, and my serve accompanied me throughout the entire match."

Difficulty in defeating aggressive players

"There have been defeats of mine that may have been surprising. But it is true that opponents play with a very clear game plan and also know my strengths. They know that I like to play long and heavy points and they try to shorten them with winners; that's where I'm vulnerable. It forces me to move and defend well when rivals go for big shots. It is true that I struggle to play against aggressive players who have many flat shots, and I have to try to deal with them."

Time, a key factor on clay

"When you switch from hardcourt to clay, the biggest difference is time; it is very hot, and the ball moves very fast. In Monte Carlo, it is cloudier, and the balls are heavier. In general, during the whole clay court tour, time is very important because the court conditions change."

Constant vigilance to avoid testing positive

"You have to be very aware of what you take. Sometimes, during the schedule or in a tournament, you may feel unwell. I always bring my medication from Norway in case I get sick. And I never buy anything from 'local' shops because there is a great risk. You don't know what it might contain or be contaminated with. There are many things you have to watch out for, and I have always been very conscious, but there comes a point where you don't even know if you should go out to dinner in case the chef puts something in your food or drink. These are things you can't control, but what I can control, I am very aware of it. The cases of Sinner and Swiatek were very unfortunate for both."

Realistic objectives

"If you go to every tournament with the aim of winning, it can be very disappointing. You have to set realistic goals for yourself. If I say that I'm going to win every clay court tournament, it's a mistake because I know I won't achieve it. The only one who did was Nadal, and even he sometimes lost matches. I said that reaching the quarterfinals would be a very realistic goal that I could achieve, and if I reach the quarterfinals, of course, you have to forget about that goal and go for more. But if I reach the quarterfinals, I won't put too much pressure on myself."

Eala and he, the most advanced students of the Rafa Nadal Academy

"It's incredible what she's doing. I don't know her personally, but on TV, she seems like a very humble girl; yesterday she was very close to beating Swiatek again. It's amazing to see the strides she's making at the highest level of the sport. And I hope she can continue like this. I advise her to enjoy the present because it all goes by very quickly," says Ruud, who prefers to take things step by step, and his next challenge in the Mutua Madrid Open is against Sebastian Korda.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ruud: "Si vas a cada torneo pensando que lo vas a ganar, puede llegar a ser muy decepcionante"