ATP Indian Wells – Casper Ruud facing the challenge of confirmation: “I’m hungry and I want more”

And yet, he continues to fly under the radar when it comes to naming contenders for victory in California. How to explain it? Two things stand out: if Ruud already has a respectable track record with 7 trophies won at the age of 23, each time it was ATP 250 tournaments, the least prestigious category on the circuit and where the competition is therefore the least raised. Moreover, with the notable exception of his victory in San Diego, he has always won on clay.

An accomplished Earthling, he was able to adapt to the tough

His scoring hat-trick Bastad-Gstaad-Kitzbühel last summer did not attract him only praise. Looking at the composition of the last four in Austria, Nick Kyrgios had thus noted the lack of opposition, even accusing Ruud of “stealing” points in this way. While the attack was both gratuitous and unwelcome, it reinforced the idea that Ruud would somehow be strong with the weak, and weak with the strong, and very limited on hard courts. A caricature that the Norwegian gradually dismantled at the end of 2021 with a title in San Diego, but also two quarters in Vienna and Bercy, as well as a semi-final at the Masters indoors for his first participation.

In Turin, he had thus dominated Andrey Rublev, then world number 5, and Cameron Norrie who had distinguished himself a few weeks earlier by winning at … Indian Wells. On the abrasive Californian surface which takes the topspin well, Casper Ruud has many assets to put forward thanks to his lasso forehand and his consistency in the exchange. Determined to progress, he has set himself a goal. “I hope to go at least one round further than last year, which would mean a quarter-final (he lost in the eighth against Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-3, Ed)”, he told us.

A mined course before possibly challenging the Nadal example

In addition to their exchanges on social networks, their only previous duel on the court had thus resulted in a memorable self-disqualification of the Australian in Rome in 2019 after receiving a penalty game for his flowery language. Then in the eighth, Jannik Sinner would face him if the logic is respected. Another major obstacle before eventually finding Rafael Nadal in the quarter.

Absent at the last minute at the Australian Open due to a training sprain, Ruud has no benchmarks on hard courts this season, which does not mean that he lacks confidence. In February, he won the only tournament he has entered so far on clay in Buenos Aires, overthrowing Diego Schwartzman in front of his home crowd in the final (5-7, 6-3, 6-2). Since then, however, he has suffered a defeat in the Davis Cup against Alexander Bublik (6-4, 5-7, 6-4) last weekend in Norway, but the playing conditions were very different indoors.

A launch pad to “reach a Grand Slam quarter”

In the Californian desert, his solid baseline tennis should express itself much better. Any good results during this North American tour could thus enable him to tackle spring on ocher in optimal conditions, the most important part of the year for him.

“The Indian Wells-Miami sequence is really a great trip, especially because the surroundings are magnificent, but also because the tournaments are fantastic. I can’t wait for the clay season in Europe to start, with Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Rome and of course Roland-Garros surpassing everything. To be more precise, I have a goal: to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final. It was in these tournaments that I was most disappointed last year, and it is something that I have not yet managed to do.“, he indicated.

So to hell with the possible pressure linked to his new Top 10 status. Methodical and ambitious without boasting, Ruud wants to follow the example of a Nadal (his potential opponent in the quarterfinals), never as formidable in his earthly kingdom as when he has already put down his tennis and gained certainty on hard court. “I know it’s an important year, because of the results I have to defend last season. And at the same time, I know that not everyone will be able to defend them because the ranking is back to normal after stretching for two years. But of course I’m hungry and I want more.”