Ruud compares the hegemony of Alcaraz and Sinner with that of the 'Big Three'

Pedro de Pablos | 17 May 2026 | 20.11

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Casper Ruud has experienced firsthand what it means to face an unstoppable Jannik Sinner in the final of ATP Rome 2026. The Norwegian tennis player has succumbed like many others due to the great game of the San Candido player and did not hesitate to praise his records in the subsequent press conference, comparing what he and Carlos Alcaraz are achieving with the 'Big Three'.

The Norwegian player sees similarities between Sinner's current dominance and Carlos Alcaraz with what Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal used to do. No one can challenge them, and they share every important tournament they enter. Now that the Spanish player is recovering from his right wrist injury, it is the San Candido player who is making history by winning all possible tournaments, and Ruud himself has explained the reasons behind these results.

Ruud's full press conference after losing to Sinner in the ATP Rome 2026 final

Performance in Rome

Overall, it has been a very good tournament. I won some good matches against tough opponents and played one of my best matches of the year. I am very pleased with the feelings I take from Rome, with these memories. I hope to keep improving next week and at Roland Garros. My goal is to push myself further and play my best tennis at Roland Garros.

Tactics against Sinner

Yes, of course, I watched Jannik and Daniil's match. Especially on Friday night, it seemed quite physically demanding for both players, but especially for Jannik, who appeared to struggle with a few things. I tried to think that the longer the match went, the better for me. You cannot just choose to make the match longer against Jannik. He usually comes out and blows everyone away in an hour. Today was at least a bit longer.

At times, there were great and tough rallies, but today it did not seem to bother him that they were long. What can you do? You can only focus on your opponent to a certain extent. It's better to focus on yourself to know him and play your best. I kept that in mind. I went out thinking it would be a tough match, and Jannik would be in good form. I did not base my tactics on what I saw on Friday, no.

More evenly matched encounter than last year in Rome

Yes, it was definitely a better match for me this year compared to last year, where I really had no chance. I had a great start, just what I expected, I broke his serve immediately, which is not very typical of Jannik lately. A somewhat different situation than he is probably used to. But he stepped up and broke me back. The match got interesting. Unfortunately, I dropped the pace a bit towards the end of the first set and the beginning of the second.

That's where he took the lead, obviously. Winning the first set and breaking serve early in the second is not easy to come back from. I had a break point in the second set that I didn't capitalize on. He stepped up. I think the main difference was that in the second set, he significantly improved his serve. I couldn't do much on my returns. I fell short. When you fall short or lack the precision against Jannik, he just takes you off the court. I know that if I want to have more chances, I need to be more precise with the shots from the baseline, in the rallies we have.

Starting with a break against Sinner

I had the perfect start, but unfortunately, I couldn't hold my serve. I think in the second set, when I was up 2-0, I served quite well, and he returned well. It's not like I threw the game away. Of course, you feel good when you start well, but you realize there's still a lot of tennis to be played. As I said, I wasn't putting up much of a fight on his service games. Since I broke his serve that time, I found it hard to find more opportunities with his serve, but comparing this match to last year's... He really is an incredible player. Having played against all the top players in the world in my career, when he plays at his best, there aren't many who can reach him, if there is anyone in the world.

Is Alcaraz on par with Sinner?

Yes, I think they are definitely ahead. I never played against the three greats at their peak. I played against them during their careers, but towards the end of them. At that time, they felt more manageable. I'm sure Roger, Novak, or Rafa, at 25 or 26, also felt the same about others. Unfortunately, I don't think Sinner is going to decline (smiles). Just need to think that one has to keep improving because he is also going to improve.

Final in Rome after dropping out of the top 20

As we know, the ranking fluctuates. In the end, it is very important because it gives you a better position in the rankings according to your performance. The position in the tournaments can be crucial. Being ranked 13, 16, or 18 is not that important. But obviously, being among the top 10 or 8 players in the world is everyone's goal, as that gives you a better position and the opportunity to play in Turin at the end of the year. I have achieved this several times in my career, and that is my goal every year. This result can be crucial for my season and the rest of the year.

I need to stay focused. It feels great to surpass 600 points in a week, especially after not being able to defend my title in Madrid. I feel like I can still improve. I did not perform well at Roland Garros last year, so I have some opportunities coming up. If I can stay focused and with the right mentality, I hope the next few months will be good for me in terms of my ranking, to keep climbing positions.

Skiing helping Sinner in his movements

Yes, it's one of the things I notice as a player; the most impressive is how he moves. He has good balance and flexibility to reach certain positions. He has good hip mobility and knows how to slide in both corners. Ultimately, I don't think it's because he skied as a child. Obviously, having good balance helps. I also ski, but I don't move as well as he does. I don't necessarily believe he moves so well because he skied when he was young.

Look at Alcaraz; he didn't ski and also moves very well. Perhaps it helps with balance. I believe doing many things as a child is good, whatever it may be, whether skiing, running, or playing golf. Doing things that keep you active is great. Yes, I have never seen Jannik ski, only in videos. It would be fun to participate in a ski competition someday (Smiling).

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ruud compara la hegemonía de Alcaraz y Sinner con la del "Big Three"