Casper Ruud has shared his insights on the relentless determination of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, describing them as players who “stay on court until the death” during Grand Slam finals. Having faced both legends on the sport’s biggest stage, Ruud has a unique perspective on their remarkable tenacity.
With Djokovic holding an impressive 24 Grand Slam titles and Nadal boasting 22, they stand as the most accomplished male players in tennis history. Ruud, who has competed in three Grand Slam finals, faced Nadal and Djokovic twice at Roland Garros. In the 2022 final, he succumbed to Nadal with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-3, 6-0, and the following year, he fell to Djokovic 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5. His other final appearance was a defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2022 US Open.
During a discussion on the Nothing Major podcast, Ruud praised the two champions as the most “motivated players” in tennis history, emphasizing the uphill battle it is to face them in a Grand Slam final. He reflected, “In the two finals I played, against Rafa in 2022 and against Novak in 2023, I thought: ‘Could it be harder? Can you find more motivated players in the history of the game?’”
Ruud acknowledged that both players are relentless competitors. “You understand that they’re probably going to stay on court until the death. They don’t want to lose, especially when Novak is aiming for his 23rd Grand Slam. Even if you’re leading 5-1, 40-0 in the first set, he’s going to find a way to turn it around.”
His experience against Nadal was initially optimistic, despite the Spaniard dealing with a foot injury. “I came in with confidence, and while I was a bit nervous, I didn’t feel much pressure. But the match started, and I got broken in the first game—that was it.”
Djokovic’s record of 36 Grand Slam singles finals is unmatched in both men’s and women’s tennis, while Nadal has participated in 30. The duo has met in nine major finals, with Nadal holding a narrow 5-4 edge in those encounters. Notably, Nadal has only lost eight of his major finals, while Djokovic has lost 12 out of his 36.
As Nadal prepares to retire next month, and with Djokovic likely wrapping up his 2024 season early, Ruud continues to compete. However, his campaign at the Swiss Indoors Open faced an early exit after being defeated in three sets by a resurgent Roberto Bautista Agut. Since his strong performance in reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros in June, Ruud has struggled to regain his top form, affected by illness during that semi-final clash against Alexander Zverev.