Casper Ruud's sister Charlotte joins Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca
Another member of the Ruud family - Casper Ruud's sister Charlotte - has set her sights on success at the highest level in tennis. Already on the ITF tour, the 16-year-old Charlotte is currently training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca.
Her brother Casper has also famously graduated from the same place. The World No. 5, who reached two Grand Slam singles finals last season, himself trains the young Charlotte from time to time.
Casper and Charlotte are following in the footsteps of their father Christian, who was once a top-40 player on the ATP tour and is currently his son's main coach.
Joining Casper Ruud and Alex Corretja on the Norwegian star's show Ruud Talk for Eurosport on YouTube, Charlotte Ruud expressed her desire to become World No. 1 in the future.
"It's always a big dream to become No. 1. I have a pretty good example as my brother. There is still a long way to go," Charlotte Ruud said.
Casper Ruud also opened up about his sister's game and training. He revealed that Charlotte often attends WTA tournaments to observe top players and learn from their training regimens and performances in matches.
"Who knows how far she can reach. She comes to tournaments sometimes and tries to learn from the women's players," he said.
Casper Ruud dissects his sister Charlotte's game, highlights her strong backhand
Casper Ruud also shared his views on Charlotte's style of play, revealing that she has taken after their father in terms of having a stronger backhand than forehand. Ruud praised her aggressive game on the court and also lauded her for showing great improvement despite starting to play tennis much later than other players her age.
The 24-year-old feels that training at the Rafa Nadal Academy has helped Charlotte develop too.
"She has a great backhand. You know, my dad, from what I've heard, he used to have a better backhand than forehand. So I think she has inherited that and skipped me. She has a very beautiful and clean backhand. The forehand is maybe a bit wild sometimes, but she goes for the winners, which is good," Ruud said.
"She's aggressive and she's improving a lot which is great to see. She started a bit late compared to other players her age but she's improved a lot and I think the academy has also helped her a lot," he added.
Ruud is currently competing at the Estoril Open, where he has reached the semifinals as the top seed.