"Rafael Nadal plays every point very, very strictly and with order, like it’s his last point" - Casper Ruud

World No. 7 Casper Ruud recently delved deeper into the reasons behind Rafael Nadal's mind-boggling dominance on clay. Explaining how Nadal's heavy topspin helps him gain an edge over the rest of the pack, Ruud also pointed out how the Mallorcan plays each point with the same amount of determination and spirit.

Casper Ruud is regarded by many as the next big thing on clay, having already won six titles on the surface before his 24th birthday. Nadal, meanwhile, is the greatest player to ever set foot on the red dirt.

With the European clay season kicking off in Monte-Carlo, Ruud sat down with ATP to discuss the strengths of some of the top claycourters on tour. He explained how Nadal treats every point as his last, which adds to the difficulty of playing the 35-year-old on an already demanding surface.

"He plays every point very, very strictly and with order, like it’s his last point. I have heard him say that many times before and that’s the reason he never gives you room to breathe," Casper Ruud said. "You don’t get too many free points from him in a match or when you play points [in practice]. With the clay, sometimes it’s more physically demanding because you play longer rallies and longer matches, and he’s there ready for it."

Having practiced with the Spaniard a number of times on clay, Ruud highlighted how the former generates a massive amount of topspin on his shots. The Norwegian believes this helps Nadal push his opponents into a corner before going for the jugular.

"I have practised with him quite a bit and I think he never gives you room to breathe when you play against him on clay. All the shots he produces are very heavy to face because he puts a lot of topspin and they bounce very high," Ruud said. "Any time you need to play a shot above shoulder height from the baseline or when you play groundstrokes, it’s tough. It’s tough to get good enough depth back when he plays these heavy shots, so he gets a chance many times to move forward and go for an aggressive shot."

"Rafael Nadal sets up the point very well and many times the same way" - Casper Ruud

The 21-time Major champion prepares to strike a forehand

During the conversation with ATP, Casper Ruud shed light on Rafael Nadal's modus operandi on clay. He highlighted how the 21-time Major champion likes to dominate proceedings with his forehand, which is particularly effective in pinning right-handed players to their backhand corner.

"He sets up the point very well and many times the same way. He likes to dominate points with his forehand and I think the majority of his clay-court career, he has been very successful playing his forehand heavy crosscourt to his opponent’s backhand, usually when he plays right-handed players," Ruud explained. "Most players struggle with his shots and it’s very normal because they’re very heavy. I think this is what makes him so successful."