Casper Ruud

It was a tale of two halves for Casper Ruud this season. He fought his way back into the top 10 by March, won two titles and played an additional three finals before reaching the semifinals at the French Open. That’s when his season took a turn for the worse, contracting a parasite in Paris with lingering effect as he reached just one more semifinal until the end of the year. Even so, he still made it to Turin and finished on a high note.

All in all, another very good season for the Norwegian, who first broke the top 10 in September of 2021. Since then he’s never been ranked lower than number 12, which speaks volumes about his consistency among the elite group of players.

Regarded as one of the most underestimated players on the Tour, Ruud proved doubters wrong once again in 2024. His patient brand of tennis based on heavy forehand and great footwork is paying dividends week in and week out, as he looks to improve his game to be able to match the crème de la crème on the biggest stages.

After runner-up showings in Los Cabos and Acapulco on his less preferred hard courts, he went to clay courts and beat Tabilo, Hurkacz, Humbert and Djokovic before losing to Tsitsipas in the Monte-Carlo Masters finals. The following week, he took revenge on Tsitsipas in the finals of The Barcelona Open and won Geneva after subpar outings in Madrid and Rome.

Just as Ruud usually does, he peaked in time for the French Open. A two-times finalist, he made it to the semifinals and lost to Alexander Zverev in four sets. During the match, Ruud was obviously hampered by what turned out to be a parasite that glued him to bed for 10-11 days.

He won one match at Wimbledon and made it to the quarterfinals of the Olympics, but he caught the flu in Montreal. He recovered in time to be close to his usual self in New York, but he lost to the eventual finalist Taylor Fritz in the fourth set.

Autumn tennis is not something that Ruud particularly enjoys. „Maybe I should stay home in the future“, he said jokingly of his one win in six tournaments following the US Open. Somewhat miraculously, Casper came to life in the ATP Finals once again and progressed to the semifinal for the third time in as many showings, notching wins over Alcaraz and Rublev in the group stage.

Greatest Win: Out of his six top 10 wins this season, the one that stands out is his first victory over then number 1 Novak Djokovic in six attempts, in the Monte-Carlo Masters semifinals 6-4 1-6 6-4. „This is a day I will remember for a really long time – beating a world No. 1 is something I’ve never done, beating Novak is something I’ve never done“, said Ruud „I’m just a little bit in a state of shock, I just didn’t want to let it slip away“.

What If Moment: He was on the verge of a third consecutive French Open final before falling ill just prior to his semifinal match. Zverev would have been a demanding foe even if Ruud was at 100 percent, and Carlos Alcaraz awaited in the finals, but one always wonders what could’ve been.  

Look Ahead: Over the past couple of years, Ruud has vastly improved his serve and his backhand. In order to be a contender at the biggest tournaments Ruud might have to step outside of his comfort zone somewhat, yet simultaneously keep the style of play that makes him so difficult for many rivals. It’s a delicate balance, but one Casper will strive to find.