Casper Ruud is still in disbelief over the fact that Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic never lost the motivation and managed to dominate the game for such a long time.
In every year between 2003 and 2023, a Big Three group member won at least one Grand Slam. Currently, they share 66 Majors between them, with the Serb owning an all-time record of 24 while the Spaniard has 22 and the Swiss 20, respectively.
In 2022, Federer retired from pro tennis after failing to recover from knee surgery. That same year, Nadal won back-to-back titles at the Australian Open and French Open but he started to deal with major injury issues in the second part of 2022 and now he is set to walk away from the game next month after barely playing any tournaments in the last two years.
On the other side, Djokovic made all four Grand Slam finals last year and added three titles to his collection. While the 37-year-old made the Wimbledon final and reached the Australian Open semifinal, he didn’t win a Major in a single season for the first time since 2017 and it is not a secret that it wasn’t a good season for him Slam-wise.
But even if the Serb – who will soon remain the only active Big Three member – doesn’t win any more Major, it won’t change the fact that the group was dominating the Slam scene for the entire two decades.
Casper Ruud and Novak Djokovic© Casper Ruud/Instagram – Fair Use
“I’ve understood how crazy it is from Rafa, Roger, and Novak… That they performed every single year for like 17, 18 years. They’ve been so good. How have they been able to keep the motivation up? How they’ve been able to be strict with themselves… How have they been able to win like 70 matches every year? Year in, year out. I just don’t understand how it’s possible. It’s one thing to do it 3, 4, or 5 years. But for them it’s been almost 20 years of pure domination,” Ruud said on the Nothing Major podcast.
Ruud felt on his own skin how it feels to play those guys on the biggest stage
In the spring of 2022, the 25-year-old Norwegian made his maiden Slam final at the French Open. Going up against his idol, he stood no chance after the Spaniard ousted him 6-3 6-3 6-0. After losing in the 2022 US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Ruud made the final at Roland Garros again in 2023 – but this time lost to Djokovic in three sets.
“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?’ You understand that they’re probably going to stay on court until the death. They don’t want to lose, especially when Novak is trying to win his 23rd Grand Slam. You know he’s just going to lock it down and you can be 5-1, 40-0 in the first set and he’s probably going to win it one way or another,” Ruud said on the Nothing Major podcast.
“Against Nadal, with his foot injury, I was pretty optimistic. I came in with confidence, I wasn’t too nervous, certainly a little bit, but I didn’t feel like I had any pressure. But the match started and I got broken in the first game, that’s it.”
Casper Ruud and Rafael Nadal© Casper Ruud/Instagram – Fair Use
Ruud insisted that he ‘was not haunted’ by the Nadal loss in the past
For the world No. 8, to win a total of six games during his maiden Major final definitely wasn’t something he was hoping for. And when the Norwegian returned to Paris in 2023, he was asked if that loss was weighing heavy on his mind.
“I’m not really haunted by what happened last year in the final honestly. I mean, like I said, I think last year I’m not the first victim to lose to Rafa in the final. Of course I wish I could have done a little better and so on, but was my first one. Not really haunted by it,,” Ruud said during the 2023 French Open.
After this statement, the Norwegian went on to make another French Open final. While he competed much better this time, he still lost after Djokovic got the job done in three tight sets 7-6 (1) 6-3 7-5.
This season, Ruud didn’t enjoy much success on the Grand Slam stage as reached semifinal at the French Open but didn’t make it past the round-of-16 in any other Major.
News
Caitlin Clark blunt admission speaks volumes as Indiana Fever make bold change
Indiana Fever have parted ways with head coach Christie Sides, with the decision coming shortly after Caitlin Clark’s standout rookie season. Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever are looking for a new coach (Image: Getty Images) Caitlin Clark’s candid revelation from four months ago…
Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz at odds over ITF coaching rule change
The ITF recently announced that coaching will be allowed at all ATP, WTA and ITF events from January, with the news having divided opinion in the tennis world Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner were at odds on the ITF’s coaching…
Paris Masters 2024: Why Are Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic Not Playing the Marquee ATP 1000 Event?
The final ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the 2024 season is currently underway in Paris! Two in-form young guns, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, have already tightened up their seatbelts for yet another scintillating show. But what about Rafael Nadal…
Novak Djokovic Shows His Big Heart With Touching Gesture for Young Tennis Compatriot After Her Major Career Win
The sport of tennis is filled with glorious tales of youngsters making it big on the tour. Take the example of Coco Gauff. When she was just 15 years old, the American sensation defeated legend Venus Williams at the Wimbledon…
Caitlin Clark’s Bond With Stephanie White Comes to Light as Sun Coach’s Indiana Return Gains New Depth
Ever since the Indiana Fever fired Christie Sides from the position of head coach, fans have been speculating about who could take the job next. And the two names that seem to rise up in every discussion are Stephanie White…
Amid Fever Head Coach Talks, Stephanie White’s Comments About Old Friend Kelly Krauskopf Resurface
Despite the Indiana Fever’s early playoff exit, their impressive run and recent leadership changes had sparked renewed optimism among fans. While Kelly Krauskopf returned as president, already generating excitement, questions remained about the future of head coach Christie Sides, especially…
End of content
No more pages to load