Casper Ruud and Clay Court are a match made in heaven. The Norwegian tennis star has had some of his best career moments on red soil. Recently, he also finished runners-up at the Monte Carlo Masters. Despite this, Nick Kyrgios has levied massive criticism on Ruud for his performances. Subsequently, American tennis star Andy Roddick came to Ruud’s rescue and took a dig at Kyrgios.

Ruud and Kyrgios have had a history of arguments on and off the court. They are strong rivals and never fail to downplay each other. However, Roddick used statistical references to support Ruud.

Andy Roddick terms Ruud’s criticism ‘weird’

After the Monte Carlo Masters, Roddick appeared in the Tennis Channel Live Podcast where he discussed the week’s event in Monaco. Further, he went on to talk about how Kyrgios criticizing Casper Ruud was incorrect. Roddick said, “The Kyrgios criticism is little weird to me. Because Casper has made two more Grand Slam finals than Nick. I’m pretty sure Nick hasn’t won a Masters 1000 either.”

He went on to add, “So what are we talking about like the finals of Washington, like his career High? Casper’s 2 in the world. Like I don’t know that he has that soapbox to stand on with that criticism.”

While Ruud has appeared in a number of finals, both in Grand Slam and Masters 1000 tournaments, Kyrgios has a comparatively inferior record. The Australian star has only one Grand Slam and Masters 1000 final appearance. On the other hand, their head-to-head record remains tied as both Ruud and Kyrgios have won a game against each other.

Both Casper Ruud and Kyrgios have taken multiple jibes against each other. Their tense history started after Kyrgios threw a chair during the Italian Open meltdown in 2019.

When Casper Ruud termed Kyrgios an ‘idiot’

The Norwegian tennis star massively criticized Kyrgios’ actions and called for him to receive a six-month ban for his actions at the 2019 Italian Open. Additionally, he called Kyrgios an ‘idiot‘ and ‘totally crazy.’

Subsequently, Kyrgios fired back at Ruud, saying, “Hey, Casper Ruud, next time you have something to say, I would appreciate you say it to my face, I’m sure you wouldn’t run your mouth so much after that. Until then I will continue to rather watch paint dry then watch you play tennis, boring as f**k.”

A certain sense of animosity has lingered between them after this incident. Their careers have also gone in the opposite directions over the years. While Casper Ruud is in prime form, Kyrgios is away from action and unsure when he’ll be back on the court. And Roddick’s strong take on the matter further highlights the differences in their standing.