Casper Ruud was outstanding on Monday morning at the ATP Finals 2024, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the first group match in Turin. The result came as a surprise since Ruud has been battling with poor form, failing to make it past the second round in any tournament after the US Open. What did help the Norwegian was the fact that Alcaraz was not playing at his 100%.
Ruud acknowledged that in his post-match interview, he was aware of Alcaraz suffering from a common cold prior to the match. In fact, the Spaniard’s visual of clearing his nose while signing autographs for excited fans on the sidelines went viral on social media.
That is why Ruud decided to go with the strategy of engaging with Alcaraz in long rallies, in the hope that his opponent would concede unforced errors. And that is exactly what happened, as Alcaraz ended up with 26 of them throughout the match, which Ruud won 6-1, 7-5 eventually.
Ruud knew this was his best chance to get one past an opponent who beat him at the US Open 2022 final amongst other matches. However, to his credit, the 2022 ATP Finals finalist stayed calm throughout the match and did not let his excitement overpower his strategy and game.
Ruud was quoted as saying on Alcaraz’s condition –
“Ofcourse that’s sad and not good for him (Alcaraz). But it’s also part of the game. I knew it coming in. I tried to make him play rallies and do my best. It’s not easy.”
Casper Ruud after beating Carlos Alcaraz for the first time at the ATP Finals in Turin
“I kind of knew he was maybe dealing with a bit of a cold. I saw him sniffling around in the area here, always with a tissue for his nose. That’s a sign that maybe physically he won’t be… pic.twitter.com/soapRcoI7f
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 11, 2024
Ruud takes on Andrey Rublev next and has a great opportunity to make it to another semi-final at the ATP Finals in his career. The fourth member in the group is Alexander Zverev, so the 6th seed would aim not to take it to that clash to decide his fate in the tournament.
It is remarkable that Ruud attributed his victory to Alcaraz’s condition and gave him the respect that he deserved.
Ruud shows good sportsmanship once again after second big win of 2024
At the net, after the match, Ruud wished Alcaraz well and asked him to take care of himself. The duo once again showed the kind of equation they share, which is great to see in a competitive world.
Casper telling Carlos at the net:
“I hope you feel better” which is another good indication the Spaniard is likely under the weather.
From a Ruud perspective, that’s now 2 big wins this year over Djokovic in Monte Carlo & today
Bullied with the forehand when he got the chance https://t.co/SRf206j6aR
— Vansh (@vanshv2k) November 11, 2024
Indeed, Ruud made the most of winning many baseline points and hitting some monstrous forehands, which weakened Alcaraz’s resolve. It had to take this kind of performance for Ruud to regain his form and clinch his second big top-10 win in the 2024 season.
At the Monte Carlo Masters, Ruud beat Novak Djokovic in what was a mini-rematch of the 2023 French Open final. It took him to the finals of the event, showing that he can beat any player in the world on a given day.
With Alcaraz being another of his victims, Ruud would fancy his chances even against the likes of Jannik Sinner or Taylor Fritz in the semifinals or finals, should he make it that far.
