Casper Ruud is coming off the first Grand Slam final of his career. The Norwegian was dominated in straight sets by his idol, Rafael Nadal. With the victory, Nadal claimed his 14th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.

Nadal, who was returning from a stress fracture in the rib, managed to outclass every opponent on his favorite surface. His run to the title included a sensational victory over World No. 1 and arch-rival Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

Ruud praises Nadal’s mentality

Ruud, who is also an academy graduate of the Spaniard’s academy, impressed everyone on his way to the final in Paris. However, he was no match for Nadal in the summit clash. Ruud praised his idol’s mentality in a recent interview, saying, “I think (in terms for mental toughness) extraordinary one would be Nadal.”

“To look how he plays every match, how he handles different situations, just kind of how fearful he is on court, that’s I think something you need to be in sports & tennis especially,” he added.

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Ruud made his way to the final by beating the likes of Marin Cilic and rising star Holger Rune. Unfortunately, Nadal was in scintillating form in their first-ever meeting, taking the match away right from the start.

Nadal, who also won earlier this year in Australia, is now sitting atop the Majors list with 22 Grand Slams. The Spaniard will aim to participate at the Wimbledon Championships later this month.

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Casper Ruud: one for the future?

The 23-year-old has been one of the most consistent players in the last few months. With 8 career titles to his name, he is beginning to fulfill his immense potential. Last year, Ruud became the first player from Norway to win an ATP Tour title when he won the 2020 Argentina Open.

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Ruud won five titles in a career-best 2021 season. All his wins came on clay–Bastad, Gstaad, and Kitzbuhel, followed by the San Diego title in September. With a career high ranking of No. 5, Ruud is on his way to create more history on the ATP tour.