Casper Ruud and Jordan Thompson have developed quite a fierce rivalry in the past 6 years. Starting from 2018, they share a head-to-head record of 2-2, with the Australian having the edge over the Norwegian in recent encounters. Their 5th match is set to be in the Round of 16 of the Barcelona Open at the Pista Rafa Nadal on Thursday.
Casper Ruud played Jordan Thompson for the first time in the first round of the 2018 French Open. Ruud won that match 6-1, 6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 6-3, after a thrilling 5-set battle that could’ve gone either way. After that, he won again in the first round match of the 2021 Australian Open since the Australian player retired hurt. The score was 6-3, 6-3, 2-1 in favor of Ruud.
A few months later, when they met at the Wimbledon Championships, Jordan Thompson turned the tables around in the rivalry with a 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 2-6, 6-2 win. It was quite similar to how Ruud won the first time.
Their 4th clash was at the Los Cabos Open 2024 final and Thompson won it 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to lift the title in Mexico.
Casper Ruud is currently having a great run in 2024. He notched up his career’s biggest win against Novak Djokovic in the Monte Carlo Masters 2024 semi-final. Ruud has a great record on clay, with his 100th win coming last year at the Estoril Open. Ruud registered the landmark after he beat Joao Sousa 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 in his opening match.
He went on to win that tournament, beating Miomir Kecmanovic 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) in the final. Ruud’s other clay-court achievements include reaching the finals of the 2019 US Clay Court Championships, the 2022 and 2023 French Open finals and the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters final among others.
Jordan Thompson, on the other hand, has seen infrequent victories on clay surfaces. Although he has had several doubles successes, Thompson hasn’t been able to replicate that in the men’s singles competition. At the French Open 2019, he defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Ivo Karlovic to reach the 3rd round. It remains one of his best performances on clay.
Neither player has set their mark in the Barcelona Open, nor have they played against each other in the Spanish city. While Ruud has consistently participated in the Barcelona Open, Thompson missed out last year. In 2023, Ruud lost to Francisco Cerundolo in the 3rd round, and in 2022 he lost to Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarter-finals. Whereas Thompson lost his first encounter with Marton Fucsovics in the 2022 edition after he had replaced Jannik Sinner in the tournament as a lucky loser.
Therefore, even though Jordan Thompson has the advantage of winning their most recent encounters, Ruud will be the stronger opponent due to his prowess on clay. He has a 73% win percentage on clay with a 121-45 win-loss record on the surface. During the interview after the 2024 Los Cabos Open, which Thompson won, he playfully teased Casper Ruud. Ruud spoke Spanish and had previously lied to Thompson about not knowing the language. The interview was covered by CGTN Spanish.
“I just asked Casper if he can speak Spanish and he told me ‘Not very well’. So I think he is full of sh*t,” is what Jordan Thompson had said.
After that small joke, Thompson also praised Casper Ruud. He was mighty impressed by him despite Ruud being younger than Thompson.
Thompson continued, “Even though you are younger than me, I actually look up to you… Your attitude on the court is unbelievable and wish I could be little but more like you and maybe hit forehands like you too.”
Ruud had previously spoken in Spanish and shared a few kind words about Jordan Thompson.
Can Jordan Thompson take a 3-2 lead over Casper Ruud in the Barcelona Open?
Although the odds might be in the favor of Casper Ruud, Jordan Thompson can ride his fortune and rely on his recent form. The only thing stopping him might be his own record on clay. Casper Ruud, however, will be hungry to make a mark in the Barcelona Open with a win. He has almost performed well in most other clay court tournaments – Estoril Open, French Open, Madrid Masters, Houston Open and the Monte Carlo Masters.
The match will be live on the Tennis Channel in the US and will start at around 10 am (Eastern Daylight Time) on 18th April 2024. It will also be broadcasted on Sky in the UK not before 2 PM GMT and on Eurosport in other parts of Europe.
