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22-year-old Casper Ruud has had a sensational 2021 season so far. Currently, he competes in the elite ATP finals with the eight best players of the year and has reached the semi-finals. But even though he is one of the strongest competitors, his fellow athletes respect him as a generous soul. Therefore, it was no surprise that Ruud named Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to be his inspirations.
Mainly, the 22-year-old shared that being a nice guy in winning and losing is one of the “important values” for him. Therefore, Ruud aims to emulate the behavior of Nadal and Federer on the pitch. More importantly, he shared a trait of the two tennis greats that he would like to follow throughout his career.
Casper Ruud reveals how Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer inspired him
For starters, Casper Ruud admitted that “it’s nice” when his peers such as Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev praise his behavior on and off the pitch. Plus, it’s a value he hopes to keep in victory and defeat and he thanked his family for the same.
“Of course I can show some frustration on the pitch, but I think it’s always nice to try to stay calm and be a nice, down to earth guy. These are important values for me ”, Ruud noted.
Additionally, the 22-year-old explained how it all started for him while watching Nadal and Federer. He even intends not to break a single tennis racket like the Spaniard.
“I told myself when I first started on tour that I will try to do my whole career without maybe breaking a racket on tour. I can only name one Top 10 player who did that, and that is Nadal, ”added Ruud.
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In addition, the world n ° 8 also praised the Swiss maestro in the same category. “Federer was also exceptional, except once in Miami where he broke the racket. These two guys have been exceptional in their behavior, ”concluded Ruud.
Who will Ruud face in the 2021 ATP Finals semifinals?
For a place in the ATP Finals final, Ruud will face world No.2 Daniil Medvedev. So far, the Russian star has maintained a 2-0 record against him. Will Ruud change it this time?
Above all, the Norwegian star is already one of the most popular ATP Tour players at 22. Thus, in the footsteps of the greatest, he will one day become an example for future generations.
Do you think Ruud will win the ATP final this year?
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