Casper Ruud is seemingly not a big fan of the “clay court specialist” label as he noted that Rafael Nadal has won every surface even though he has been considered as “The King of Clay” since basically the start of his career.
Ruud, 23, has nine ATP titles in his collection. Of those nine titles, eight have come on clay courts. Because of his clay record, Ruud has been labeled by some as a “clay court specialist.” But Ruud has proved that he can play well on hard as well, having reached the Miami Masters earlier this year.
Also, Ruud reached the Montreal Masters semifinal last week. “I think the media is too focused on if you’re a clay court player or hard court player,” Ruud said, per Sportskeeda. “I mean, Rafa has won Wimbledon twice, he has won the US Open four times, Australian Open two times.
We all know that he’s the greatest clay court player that is. I think the media is making names and calling you this or that too early sometimes.”
Ruud: I never looked myself as a clay court specialist
“I never looked at myself as a clay court specialist.
Even though I prefer to play on the surface, yes, I also like playing on hard courts. I mean, I feel I can do good results. I’ve proven it this year with Miami and this tournament that I’m able to win some matches against good players on hard court as well,” Ruud added.
Clay is definitely Ruud’s top favorite but he can definitely play well on hard as well. On clay, Ruud reached his first Grand Slam final. At this past French Open, Ruud made the final before losing to Rafael Nadal. By reaching the Montreal semifina, Ruud made a good start to his summer on hard courts. It remains to be seen how will Ruud do at this year’s US Open.
