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Casper Ruud lifted his first trophy of 2023 on Sunday, April 9, at the Estoril Open. To claim his tenth career title, the former World No. 2 defeated Serbia’s Miormir Kecmanovic [6-2, 7-6 (3)] in the final. The tennis player’s successful campaign on the clay courts at the Estoril Open came after a string of bleak appearances during the season’s hardcourt tournaments.
After his title win at the ATP 250 in Portugal, Casper Ruud touched upon the online hate he receives from tennis fans, most of whom deem him an unworthy Top-10 competitor. The Norwegian dismissed the brutal judgment and confessed that brooding over negativity can lead to self-doubt.
"99% of what you read online is written by people that have no clue about tennis. It can be dangerous to spend too much time online. You can start to doubt yourself," Casper Ruud said during the post-match interview.
Ruud, who had a phenomenal 2022 season, reaching the finals of the French Open, the US Open, and the Miami Open as well as the ATP Finals in addition to lifting three titles, was subjected to harsh online criticism regardless -- for failing to win a title above the ATP 250 level.
Ruud, however, has remained unfazed. He spoke with his head held high about his noteworthy achievements throughout the past year, and credited his “smart scheduling.”
“In the end I'm winning quite a lot of matches every year. The ranking is a system that shows how well you play in 52 weeks," he said. "I got to number two. People will always find a way to criticize no matter what. They will say the path was easy or that I'm playing some smaller tournaments. Maybe you can give credit to my smart scheduling."
Nonetheless, the athlete admitted that he is aiming for bigger titles and is looking forward to making deep runs at the ongoing Monte-Carlo Masters as well as the upcoming Masters 1000s in Madrid and Rome, and the ATP 500 in Barcelona.
"My plan is to win something bigger than a 250. I already have 10, it's a big number and done, but I want to win bigger tournaments. There will be some opportunities now in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, then Madrid and Rome," he said.
"I'm happy with who I am" - Casper Ruud comfortable with not gaining as much hype as Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev
Casper Ruud has had an admirable career graph and numerous accolades to his name in his young career.
Nonetheless, the 24-year-old hasn’t been given equal consideration if compared to the hype generated when players such as Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Alexander Zverev first emerged on tour.
"I wasn’t a wonder kid. They have a lot more hype. But for me it’s nice the way it is," Casper Ruud said, adding, "I'm happy with who I am. I don't always need to have the cameras around. Other players can do that stuff."
After his Estoril Open win, the Norwegian stated that he is comfortable flying under the radar.
