Casper Ruud lands at Roland Garros 2026 as one of the most solid clay-court players on the circuit, with reinforced confidence after his great week in Rome. A finalist in the Foro Itálico and subsequently a champion in Geneva, Ruud arrives in Paris convinced that he can once again compete in the final rounds of the Parisian Grand Slam.
During the Media Day before the start of the tournament, the Norwegian talked about his decision to also compete in Geneva after Rome, analyzed Jannik Sinner's current dominance, and reflected on how tennis has changed in recent years with increasingly aggressive and powerful players. Casper Ruud also expressed his support for the players' protests regarding the economic distribution in the Grand Slams.
His decision to also play in Geneva
"We definitely discussed the possibility of not going to Geneva, especially after reaching the final in Rome, but in the end, we felt it was the best decision for me."
"The start of the season was not as good as I expected, and when you find rhythm and confidence, I think it is sometimes positive to keep playing matches. Also, after Roland Garros, I have three weeks without competing before Wimbledon, so I wanted to make the most of the clay season."
"The most important thing was that in Rome, I hadn't accumulated too many hours on the court until the final. I felt that I still had energy and motivation to keep playing, and that's why we decided to also compete in Geneva."
His analysis of Jannik Sinner's dominance
"What makes Jannik so good is that he doesn't give you space to breathe. When you get into long exchanges, you know the ball is coming back very fast and almost always to a very good area."
"You feel that every shot has to be practically perfect because, if it's not, he immediately takes control of the point and punishes you. Mentally, that ends up being very tough."
"When he was younger, everyone talked about the cleanliness of his shots, but I think what has improved the most in the last two or three years is his physique, his movement, and his defensive ability. That's why he dominates so much now."

Comparison between Sinner and Nadal at Roland Garros
"I do feel certain similarities with what happened when we arrived here knowing that we probably had to beat Rafa to conquer the tournament."
"Obviously, Jannik has not yet won Roland Garros fourteen times, but right now, he is clearly the big favorite. He has won three Masters 1000 and was one point away from the title here last year. All the players will try to stop him because it is still a very open tournament, and we are all human, but it is evident that he arrives as the man to beat."
The change in tennis in recent years
"I have talked a lot about this in the last few seasons because tennis has really changed a lot. There are players hitting much harder than five or six years ago, and I also talked about this with older players who feel exactly the same."
"I was always a player who liked to build points more, and now many times I find myself forced to play a more aggressive and faster tennis, less comfortable for me, but at the same time, that also forces you to improve. The big difference is that today's players don't wait too long to attack. As soon as they see a small opening, they press the button and go directly for winners."
With confidence regained after a great clay court tour and convinced that he can still compete against anyone on this surface, Casper Ruud faces Roland Garros 2026 determined to be a protagonist in Paris once again. The Norwegian also arrives with the feeling that his tennis continues to evolve in an increasingly physical and aggressive era within the ATP circuit.
Cette actualité est une traduction automatique. Vous pouvez lire la nouvelle originale Ruud analiza lo mucho que ha cambiado el tenis en los últimos años

