Casper Ruud has been on a dream run at the ongoing 2026 Italian Open, having reached his first final at the Eternal City. He crushed the local favorite, Luciano Darderi, 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinal to reach the fourth Masters 1000 final in his career. After the win, the Norwegian remained noncommittal about his chances in the competition and spoke about being at peace with his records, even if they did not match those of some of the game’s greats.

During his run in Rome, Ruud had previously stated that his current form was better than it was a few years ago, when he reached No. 2 in the ATP Rankings. However, he candidly admitted that the developmental curves of some of his peers had been steeper than his, and that they had improved faster than he had. In his press conference, he admitted to minor frustrations but was adamant about avoiding constant comparisons with other players, as they could be detrimental to his own game.

“Their curve has been far better than mine in the last years. Has it been frustrating? A bit. But you cannot think too much about the other players. You have to stay in your own lane in this sport, and try to focus on yourself as much as you can. It’s an individual sport after all. Comparing yourself to other players, I think, is the biggest mistake you can make. You have to trust yourself, your gut, and trust the things you’re doing are right. Yeah, I realize I will not probably break any huge records in this sport, but I can do as well as I can along my journey and along my career.” Ruud said.

Ruud’s point is often in line with what most tennis players feel. Even the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic feel certain records are beyond their reach. Jannik Sinner also echoed the same sentiment after breaking Djokovic’s ATP Masters’ win streak record at the Italian Open. He reiterated, “I don’t play for records. I play just for my own story.” Ruud’s tough confession indicates he is content with himself, but there is another gear the Norwegian star could still reach.

After losing to Blockx in Madrid’s third round, Ruud rebounded with this run in Rome.

Casper Ruud Talks About His Fatigue and How He Overcame It to Reach the Final in Rome

Ruud was open about his struggles in his early rounds in Rome. The Norwegian confessed that he had difficulty with longer rallies on slow clay courts in Rome compared to those at a higher altitude in Madrid. However, he reset his mindset and realized his opponents were playing under similar conditions and would face similar situations.

“Honestly, the first days I was not feeling the ball great. I was feeling quite tired because the rallies here are a bit different from those in Madrid. In Madrid, you get many more free points with your serve. The big servers really can take advantage of that. But here you have to build and play more points. I was thinking that if I feel a bit tired or feel these conditions, the opponent probably feels the same. So we are all in the same situation.” Ruud added

Ruud has gradually built his form up at the Italian Open, starting with a routine win over Zachary Svajda in the second round. He got his first big win in the third round, beating Jiri Lehecka in straight sets, which proved to be the turning point for the Norwegian at this event, as he pointed out himself during the press conference. He went past the home favorite Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round, followed by a three-set thriller against Karen Khachanov, after which the rout of Darderi followed in the semifinal.

Ruud does not yet know who his opponent in the Rome final will be, as the other semifinal between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev has been delayed by rain. The Norwegian has not won against Sinner in four attempts, including a 6-0, 6-1 rout in Rome itself last year. He is 1-3 behind in the head-to-head against Medvedev, but his only win against the Russian had come on clay. Whoever it is, one can expect the former World No.2 to be a force to be reckoned with, especially on the clay.