By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday April 11, 2024
For Casper Ruud, the 2024 clay-court season is all in regards to the perspective.
The Norwegian has already carved out an enviable profession on the floor, which incorporates two Roland-Garros finals, 9 ATP titles, and 125 wins towards simply 46 losses, however now that he’s 25, and with so many constructive experiences below his belt, Ruud is aiming for greater and higher.
That each one begins, says Ruud, with professionalism and consistency.
“I’m searching for extra regular outcomes,” he mentioned on Thursday after defeating Hubert Hurkacz, 6-4, 6-2 . “I advised myself that I want to attain the quarterfinal or higher each time I present as much as a event on the clay – that is sort of the primary aim for the clay season. “If that is, 5, six quarterfinals in a row, I am going to take it however after all you need to go even deeper.”
Man on a mission 🔥
Casper Ruud will get the entry to his twelfth profession Masters QF as he ends Hubert Hurkacz’s profitable streak and improves to 2-1 within the head-to-head towards him
6-4 6-2
He’s 5-0 within the earlier Masters QFs performed on clay pic.twitter.com/3wyIxkKgw5
— Mario Boccardi (@marioboc17) April 11, 2024
Ruud says he’s coming into this stage of his profession with a distinct perspective. He needs to be extra assertive on the court docket – and he is aware of he has the sport to try this.
Not that he hasn’t already — Ruud leads all ATP gamers in clay court docket wins (96), finals (13) and titles (9) for the reason that begin of the 2020 season.
“I’ve sort of set that as a bit minimal to attempt to are available in with a distinct mentality this 12 months and count on a bit bit extra for myself,” he mentioned. “I’ve had a couple of good outcomes prior to now on clay, clearly Roland-Garros twice in a row with a very nice end result, that offers me confidence to say these items that I’m going to attempt to do nicely in each clay event.
“Generally you must say sure issues, that you just consider in your self, and I’ve gained loads of self-belief after a couple of leads to my profession already. I am getting older and there are extra younger guys coming.”
Now that he’s one of many veterans on tour, the Tenth-ranked Norwegian is aware of he has to face up and shield his territory. For him, all of it begins on the pink clay.
“I turned 25, a couple of months in the past and I mentioned: ‘It is time to sort of develop up. You are an grownup. Now you are a grown man, and you must present as much as each event, believing extra in your self and coming with possibly a bit bit completely different perspective,’” Ruud mentioned. “So I am making an attempt [to do that] that this clay-court season.”
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