Casper Ruud: an unexpected final after a complicated start to the season

Despite a slow start to 2023, Casper Ruud will be back in the French Open final against Novak Djokovic

Casper Ruud at Roland-Garros in 2023 (Chryslene Caillaud/Panoramic)

June 11, 2023

Casper Ruud in the final of the French Open: a scenario easier to imagine in 2022 than in 2023. After a year that was both satisfying and gruelling, the Norwegian failed to confirm his new status at the top of the game with just five wins in three months at the start of this new season – a situation that can be explained by a poorly managed 2022/2023 transition by Ruud and his team, including some surprising choices.

Poor physical preparation

Vexed by his early elimination in the second round of the Australian Open, Ruud had decided in February to work on his physique before the American tour on hard courts and the start of the clay-court season. But the preparation did not pay off, losing to Taro Daniel in the round of 16 in Acapulco, to Cristian Garin in the round of 32 at Indian Wells, and to Botic van de Zandschulp in the round of 32 in Miami.

Italian Renaissance

Lacking confidence, Ruud first rediscovered his taste for victory in Estoril in 2023, beating Miomir Kecmanovic in the final. But victory gave way to inconsistency, with successive disappointments in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid. In the end, Italy was the only place where his renaissance could take place. At the Rome Masters 1000, Casper became Ruud again, although he lost in the semi-final to Holger Rune.

Building on these Roman foundations, Ruud finally arrived at Roland-Garros with certainty and in the position he prefers: without making a fuss. In Paris, in his usual style, the Norwegian once again became a monster of consistency in the final. After facing Rafael Nadal in 2022, he now faces a different tennis legend in Novak Djokovic.