"Ranking-wise I'm maybe ahead of him but I feel like the underdog" - Casper Ruud ahead of ATP Finals summit clash against Novak Djokovic
Casper Ruud will square off against Novak Djokovic in the summit clash of the ATP Finals on Sunday. Both players finished top of their respective groups and outclassed their opponents in the semifinals. While Djokovic remains unbeaten so far in the tournament, the Norwegian suffered a straight-sets defeat to Rafael Nadal in the group stage.
In his presser on Saturday, Ruud made it clear that he was the underdog heading into the final despite being the higher-ranked player.
"Ranking-wise I'm maybe ahead of him but I feel like the underdog," he said. "He has won this tournament five times and I've seen them all on TV and how great he played."
Ruud, however, stressed that Djokovic would be under pressure as there's "a lot on the line." He also referenced Djokovic's loss to Holger Rune in the Paris Masters final, pointing out that the Serb is "human" after all.
"He's a player that doesn't have many weaknesses at all, but you know he's human. He's had a great year even though he's been unfortunate with everything going on for him. He lost two weeks ago to Rune in the final, so it's not like he plays these finals every day of his career and his life. I am sure he will also feel a little bit of pressure. There's a lot on the line," he added.
"I think I've surprised myself for sure" - Casper Ruud on his successful 2022 season
World No. 4 Casper Ruud will be hoping to end his season on a high with a maiden ATP Finals title.
In the same press conference, Ruud said that he had surprised himself this season, especially with his performances on hard courts.
"Yeah, I think I surprised myself for sure," he said. "I have four finals that stand out for me this year, which are Miami Open and Roland Garros, US Open, now this. Three of four are on hard court. I guess that's surprising."
The Norwegian suffered an ankle injury at the start of the year, forcing him to pull out of the Australian Open. The 23-year-old expressed delight in the hard work he has put in since then to turn things around.
"I guess just through hard work and patience and keeping my head high, trying to stay positive no matter what, I guess I've been able to reach this level, this situation. Of course, I'm very happy and proud about it," he added.