"I did not see this coming" - John McEnroe on Casper Ruud reaching 2022 US Open final
Tennis legend John McEnroe has expressed his surprise at Casper Ruud reaching the final of the 2022 US Open.
Norwegian Ruud overcame Russia's Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in the semifinals to advance to his second Major final of the season.
In light of Ruud's outstanding performance, McEnroe lavished praise on the Norwegian in an interview with Eurosport, saying that he did not expect Ruud to be this "good" on hard courts.
"I saw him up close at the Laver Cup last year and his serve was bigger than I thought and he hits a bigger ball. But I did not see this coming, that he would be this good on hardcourts," McEnroe said.
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Casper Ruud is a TWO-TIME MAJOR FINALIST! 🇳🇴🥳
Roland Garros runner-up @CasperRuud98 defeats Karen Khachanov, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, in the #USOpen semifinals.
The Top 2 beckons—and if Carlos Alcaraz falls tonight, Ruud is your new No. 1.
From @DKTNNS:
tennis.com/news/articles/… https://t.co/nWgkB4c5vy
The former World No. 1 stated that while Ruud lacks the charisma of Carlos Alcaraz or Frances Tiafoe, he makes for a great addition to the sport.
"He is awesome, he is humble. He is not going to light the stadium on fire. He does not have the charisma of Carlos Alcaraz or Frances Tiafoe, but he is a credit to our game," he said.
"He is extremely solid, he works hard. He has spent a lot of time the last few years at Nadal's academy, watching the way he does his thing. That has helped him to realise he had to do even more," he added.
Casper Ruud takes the first set over Karen Khachanov after a WILD 55-shot rally!
#USOpen https://t.co/FYMvsIG3Ge
"He has a great chance to win this"- John McEnroe on Casper Ruud's US Open title chances
Despite Casper Ruud's loss to Rafael Nadal in the French Open final, John McEnroe believes that the Norwegian has a fantastic chance of winning the US Open title.
"It is amazing how well that has worked, especially as his dad was a former pro. So this is an awesome effort. I think at the French Open he was totally overwhelmed thinking about playing Rafael Nadal on clay - who wouldn't be?" McEnroe said.
"But now he seems to be playing even better than he was at the French Open, and he has got to go in thinking that he has a great chance to win this," he acknowledged.
The gloves will be off in the #USOpen final. 🥊 https://t.co/4M7xObfn0W
Casper Ruud will be looking to win his maiden Grand Slam title will he takes on 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's final. The winner of the match will also become the new World No. 1. The pair have met each other twice so far, with the Spaniard emerging victorious on both occasions.