PLAYING NIGHT TO FRIDAY: While Casper Ruud plays on gravel in Switzerland, Nick Kyrgios plays on hardcourt in Atlanta in the USA. Foto: Casey Sykes / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA
––
Tennis star Nick Kyrgios (26) is obviously not a fan of Casper Ruud’s favorite surface gravel. When the Norwegian asked for clarification, he answered rudely back and regretted it.
–
– What is his favorite tournament on gravel ?, answers Casper Ruud humorous as the ATP tour asks questions to Nick Kyrgios in connection with a tournament in Washington next week.
– It is a fun question, says the Ukrainian tennis player Ilya Marchenko.
The answer obviously did not go down well with Kyrgios who responded with “your mother”. That message was later deleted.
—-Photo: Screenshot / Twitter
––
It happens shortly after Kyrgios has fired at the gravel tournaments on the ATP tour.
– Why is tennis still played on gravel? It attracts absolutely zero fans, zero crowds and no uproar. It is harmful to the sport, Kyrgios wrote in response to the fact that three ATP tournaments were played on gravel last weekend.
When the ATP Tour announced the semi-final setup for the ATP 250 tournament in Kitzbühel, where Casper Ruud meets Arthur Rinderknech, he also failed to recover.
– Hahahaha, this is classic. Casper Ruud, you are a good player, but we all know that you steal points through these tournaments haha, Kyrgios writes in a new message.
Casper Ruud is considered one of the very best tennis players on gravel and this is where he has won all his ATP triumphs. In recent weeks, he has collected 500 ranking points with victories in Båstad and Gstaad.
Kyrgios, on the other hand, thrives best on hardcourt.
Tennis commentator Sverre Krogh Sundbø believes that “Casper Ruud has moved into Nick Kyrgios’ head”:
– It’s game, set, match to Casper when he answers that way, he says to VG.
Ruud responded earlier this week to Kyrgios’ gravel criticism:
– I do not know what he has written, but there was at least enough of the audience here at the gravel tournament in Gstaad, and it’s nice. In the Olympics there is no audience, so to be able to play in front of people in Switzerland this week, as well as at “home” in Båstad the week before, has been very fun.
Ruud had not seen Kyrgios’ message, but said he “may write what he wants”.
The Australian rebel has previously fired at Ruud. He called the Norwegian “boring as hell” back in 2019 and claimed no one knew he was playing tennis.
PS! Casper Ruud’s semi-final in Kitzbühel – on the surface Kyrgios obviously does not like – appears on VG + Sport. It starts around 16.00 on Friday.
–
