Rafael Nadal has been the talk of the town throughout his 23-year-long career. But his recent victory in the first round of his comeback match in Barcelona has put his name in the headlines worldwide. Several tennis stars have already portrayed their excitement about the comeback of the ‘King of Clay’. Norwegian tennis star Casper Ruud joined the list during his latest interview with ATP Media. In that exchange, he was spotted bringing out his inner fanboy for the 37-year-old tennis legend.

Casper Ruud loves playing on the clay, and he has been idolizing Rafael Nadal while growing up. Ruud even went on to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy during the initial stages of his career. Seeing Nadal back in a tournament where he had won 12 titles throughout his career, Ruud was unable to keep calm. Expressing his excitement, he noted, “You know, might sound like I’m like a fanboy. But, you know, that’s okay. I mean, his absence from the tour is not a, you know, you notice it, and it’s always fun when he shows up.“

He further went on to add a few lines about the ‘Big Three’ of the tennis world. “You know him, Roger, Novak, they have a huge influence on the tour, and whenever they’re absent, it’s different,” Ruud said, adding, “Obviously, it is an opportunity for every other player. But now, at this point of their careers with Rafa…, Roger has already retired. But it’s getting closer to the end for them, unfortunately, and they will be so missed.”

Casper is one of those luckiest tennis players who got the chance to play against his idol, and that too at his favorite surface, on one of the biggest stages of the game.

“I felt clueless”—Casper Ruud recalls facing Rafael Nadal on clay

Ruud faced Nadal at the finals of Roland Garros in 2022. In that match, Nadal defeated the Norwegian tennis star by 6-3,6-3,6-0 to clinch his 14th French Open title. Moreover, Casper Ruud once also spoke about the difference between playing Rafael Nadal on clay courts and Novak Djokovic on hard courts. During a press conference at the Indian Wells in 2023, he said, “Rafa on clay has been the one that, really; I felt clueless what to do and chanceless as well.”

“It was really a one-way show, we played at Roland-Garros last year, and particularly best-of-five sets is really difficult,” he added. Ruud has faced Nadal twice so far in his career, and he has been defeated on both occasions. The 25-year-old tennis star also spoke about the current world number one in that interview.

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Sharing his views on Djokovic, Casper highlighted, “Not taking anything away from Novak because whenever it is important on a hard court, he steps up. He’ll break you or play some unreal rally.” Ruud is currently placed in the 6th spot for international rankings, and he has been in good form this year. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets the chance to face Rafael Nadal yet again, especially during the clay court season this year.

What’s your take on Ruud’s insights? How far do you think he can go at the Barcelona Open this year?