Casper Ruud exclusive: Rafael Nadal could produce 'ridiculous level' to win French Open yet again

Casper Ruud believes that Rafael Nadal could once again be the man to beat at the French Open when the second Grand Slam of the season gets underway in May. Nadal has 14 titles at Roland-Garros to his name, and while he has made it clear he is reducing the amount of tennis he will be playing to stay fresh and manage his conditioning, nobody expects the 36-year-old to easily let go of the trophy he won as recently as last year.

Ad Speaking on Ruud Talk to Dominic Thiem, Ruud said: “I don't know, I still feel like if Dominic or I shouldn't root for ourselves, I think we both can say that we wouldn't be surprised if Rafa came up with some ridiculous level once again. ATP Indian Wells'Really proud' Alcaraz hits 100 wins faster than Djokovic, Nadal or FedererYESTERDAY AT 11:38 «It wouldn't surprise me because we will probably use these weeks and these months as he is preparing for exactly, you know, Roland-Garros.

“You know, it doesn't matter if he loses in Monte Carlo or if he loses in Rome or Madrid. The only thing that is probably on his mind these days is just to be fit, be healthy and be ready for Roland-Garros.” Ruud was a losing finalist to Nadal at the French Open last year, and also the runner-up at the US Open in 2022.

While he has nine ATP ranking titles to his name so far in his career, he has yet to win a Grand Slam. Thiem secured the 2020 US Open title, and the Austrian told Ruud that he hoped he could join him in the club of Grand Slam winners.