French Open: Casper Ruud exclusive: ‘I gave it my all’ as he credits Novak Djokovic for ‘rewriting tennis history’

When Ruud reached this stage 12 months ago, he looked overawed to be playing his idol, Rafael Nadal, and only managed to win six games across three sets. But this time around, the Norwegian came out all guns blazing and broke Djokovic’s first service game to take an immediate 2-0 lead in the first set.

That lead looked like holding – but Djokovic wouldn’t go away and managed to break back and force a tie-break, despite Ruud having played the better of the two. But once in that tie-break, Djokovic raised his level as he so often does, to a level Ruud just couldn’t live with.

“Novak [Djokovic] makes it difficult for you,” Ruud said when he spoke exclusively to Eurosport courtside after the final.

“He didn’t start the greatest. I had the better start, but he just goes into this mode where he makes balls after balls, it’s tough to find winners against him.

“And of course, if you are too defensive against him he will control you around the court, so it’s a tough balance to find. I started well, and of course, I wish I could have kept that level, but he’s won this many Slams for a reason, he’s done it so many times before.”

Ruud isn’t the first player to lose his first three Grand Slam finals, and he can take solace from the way he performed against a player who he said himself was “rewriting history” and will undoubtedly be regarded as one of, if not the best of all time.

“I gave my all, it wasn’t enough but I’m going to continue to work,” he said. “But what Novak has done over the last 15 years is inspiring to everyone, inspiring to me as well, and I’m going to keep working hard and hopefully be back here one day at Roland-Garros in the final.”

The good news for Ruud is that he is only 24 years old, and coming into his prime as a tennis player. Add in the experience of three Slam finals on two different surfaces against two legends of the game and a player widely regarded as the next big thing, and it is easy to see why Eurosport’s Mats Wilander is tipping him for Grand Slam success.

“He’s showing that he’s developing. He was doing different things, he was hitting drop shots, trying to come in, and I think that’s the way forward for him,” Wilander said.

“Watching him, do I think Casper Ruud can win a Grand Slam? Yes, I do think he can win here, he’s better, looks comfortable, calm. I’m impressed, very impressed.”

Wilander wasn’t the only former player impressed by Ruud’s display, with Tim Henman adding his thoughts.

“He’s played the greatest male player of all time and he’s pushed him very close in a Slam final, so I’m sure he’ll be disappointed with the loss,” he said.

“At the end of the day, there was only one player able to beat him [here] and that was Novak Djokovic in the final.”

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