'He stepped up and showed that when he needs to, he plays great' - Casper Ruud on his French Open final defeat to Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal continued his French Open supremacy as he clinched his 14th title on Court Phillipe-Chartier, beating Norway's Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the final. It was another dominating display from the Spaniard, who clinched his 22nd Grand Slam title to extend his lead over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
It is difficult for any player to be mentally prepared to face the 36-year-old on clay, as it has been his kingdom since 2005, when he won his maiden French Open title as a 19-year-old.
The King Of Clay was able to hit the ground running on Sunday, breaking Ruud's serve in the second game of the match. After taking the first set 6-3, he found himself trailing 3-1 to the Norwegian in the second set after committing a couple of double faults on his serve.
The 36-year-old quickly gathered him wits and went on to win 11 games on the bounce, showing why he is a force to reckon with on his favorite surface. Ruud had no answer to the onslaught and he looked like a fish out of water.
Rafa-Garros 🇪🇸🏆 https://t.co/0iC9GYREvt
Speaking at the post-match press conference, runner-up Casper Ruud admitted that Nadal can 'eat you alive on clay' if you are defensive.
“I got a little bit of a cheap break of serve in the second set and was up 3-1, and of course wanted to get the match going and maybe try to win the set. But then he stepped up and he showed that when he needs to, he plays great,” said Ruud.
Ruud, playing in his first Major final, said he was all over the place in the final because of the way Nadal was playing.
“It was tough for me to really know where I should play the ball because from both sides, he [is] strong. On the forehand, he plays with a little bit of spin and kind of feels like you're playing a right-handed forehand. I didn't know exactly where to play there in the end, and he made me run around the court too much. When you play defensively against Rafa on clay, he will eat you alive,” said Ruud.
🗣️ "His numbers speak for themselves"
Hear from @CasperRuud98 on facing Rafa and reaching his first Grand Slam final:
#RolandGarros
It was always going to be an uphill task for Ruud to beat the veteran in the Roland Garros final. This was their first meeting and the experienced campaigner, who now has a 112-3 record in Paris, was the better player by a mile and a half.
Rafael Nadal optimistic of Wimbledon participation
Rafael Nadal has been dealing with injuries since the start of the year, and even admitted to taking injections daily to make sure he gets through the French Open.
Speaking after his 14th Slam title win in Paris, the Mallorcan said he wants to take part in the Wimbledon Championships if he can find a more permanent solution in dealing with his foot injury.
"I'm going to be in Wimbledon if my body is ready to be in Wimbledon. Wimbledon is not a tournament that I want to miss. So if you ask me if I will be in Wimbledon, I can't give you a clear answer. If I want to win Wimbledon, of course," Nadal said.
He last played at the grass-court Slam in 2019, where he lost to Federer 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals.