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Casper Ruud was seen wearing a Rafael Nadal kit from 2009 as he shared his childhood playing memories with Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Norwegian shared these memories after the duo contested against each other in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters. Tsitsipas won the final 6-1, 6-4 to secure his third title in Monte-Carlo.
The Greek was quick off the blocks and took early control of the match. One of the few players on the tour to use the single-handed backhand, Tsitsipas won the first set dominantly and was able to win the second set with ease as well.
Rudd shared a picture on Instagram from his childhood playing days. In the picture, Rudd can be seen alongside Tsitsipas playing together at an early age in their careers. The Norwegian said it was a moment he was proud of and worth remembering.
"Moments to remember, moments to be proud of! In times like these it is fun to reflect and look back on this incredible journey. Congrats to @stefanostsitsipas98 and his team. We have been playing together since we were kids and ending up here in the final together, is a dream come true for both of us. This exciting journey continues and weeks like these fuel my hunger for more," said Ruud on his Instagram.
Rudd said that such memories were the source of inspiration for him to keep going and keep achieving new milestones as a tennis player.
One fan pointed out that Ruud was wearing a similar kit in the photo as adorned by Rafael Nadal in the 2009 season.
"casper wearing his 2009 rafa nadal kit" they wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"Stef played well"- Casper Ruud praises Tsitsipas's overall playing style after loss in Monte-Carlo final
Casper Rudd was all praise for his opponent after he lost the final at the Monte-Carlo Masters against Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Norwegian accepted that Tsitsipas was equally good on both his forehand and backhand sides. Ruud candidly accepted that he could not find any openings in the Greek's play.
"Stef played well, you know he plays aggressive fantastic with the forehand and also with the backhand today I think so, didn't find any holes in his game and I didn't play good enough," Ruud was quoted as saying at the press conference after the final at Monte-Carlo.
Ruud said that in previous encounters it was the forehand that decided the outcome of the match as that was the weapon of choice for both. However, the Norwegian accepted that Tsitapas' backhand was a major difference in the Monte-Carlo final.
"I think we both prefer our forehand sides over the backhand, but today he played also like I said heavy good from his backhand side," Ruud said.
Both Ruud and Tsitspas have gained strides in the ATP rankings. The duo were ranked 8th and 12th before the tournament. The run to the finals at Monte-Carlo has helped Ruud reach 6th while Tsitsipas' title win sees him rise to 7th in the rankings respectively.
