"I saw Carlos Alcaraz with a tissue for his nose" - Casper Ruud concedes he took advantage of cold-stricken Spaniard at ATP Finals 2024
Casper Ruud earned his first win over Carlos Alcaraz on Monday, taking down the Spaniard in straight sets in their opening-match clash at the 2024 ATP Finals in Turin. The Norwegian, afterwards, revealed that he knew coming into the clash that Alcaraz was not fully fit, as he had seen him walking around the tournament area with a bit of a cold.
Alcaraz had a 4-0 record against Ruud before November 11, having lost only one set against the former World No. 2 in four meetings. In Turin, however, it was a nightmare for the 21-year-old, who fell 1-6 in the opening set.
Although he bounced back strongly in the second set for a 5-2 lead, disaster struck soon for the four-time Grand Slam champion. After losing serve when serving for the set, he got broken again to lose the set 5-7, and with it the match.
Speaking at his on-court interview afterwards, Casper Ruud revealed the key to his win, confessing that he knew he could advantage of Alcaraz's weakened state. At the same time, Ruud insisted that this was part of tennis, emphasizing how he still had to keep himself calm during crucial moments to grab the win at the end of the day.
"I kind of knew he was maybe dealing with a bit of a cold. I saw him sniffling around in the area here, always with a tissue for his nose. That’s a sign that maybe physically he won’t be necessarily at 100%. Of course, that’s sad and not good for him. But it’s also part of the game. I knew it coming in. I tried to make him play rallies and do my best. It’s not easy.
"When you know someone isn’t 100%, you get stressed. You think ‘Oh, this is a really big chance for me to win.’ I tried to stay in my world, the moment. Luckily I got a good start. Second set I was able to turn it around and play some good tennis at the end" Casper Ruud said.
The win marked Ruud's biggest hardcourt win ever, seeing as it was his first victory against a top-3 opponent outside clay.
Who do Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud face in their remaining matches at the ATP Finals?
With two matches left in the group stage at the 2024 ATP Finals, Carlos Alcaraz will next take on Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev, and will most likely have to win both of the battles to go through to the semifinals.
Casper Ruud, having won his opening clash, has a much better shot of making the final four at the year-end championships. It is more likely that just one win in the remaining two matches will be enough for the Norwegian to reach the semifinals in Turin.