ROLAND GARROS

June 3, 2024

Casper Ruud

Press Conference

C. RUUD/T. Fritz

7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Your thoughts on that win, on the match.

CASPER RUUD: Yeah, it was a tough one. Very close and tough first set which luckily went my way. If I had lost that and the second, it would look really bad, but after the second set it was still 1-All. He broke me early, and then from there, I just told myself, you know, time to step up, going to do just my best to just get into the zone and stay there. You know, combined with him maybe feeling a little injured and pain, I was able to do that luckily and come back in the third and finish strong in the fourth.

Happy and proud that I was able to turn the match somewhat around. I mean, it didn't look like it was over, but I was at least down in the third set a break and then came back from there.

Q. You play Novak next, played him in last year's final as well. Just wanted to ask what exactly makes him so good on this surface particularly? We think of Nadal as the clay king, but Djokovic has won three Roland Garroses. What is it that he does so well here?

CASPER RUUD: Yeah, well, you can definitely argue that he's the second-best clay court player of all time. I mean, obviously Borg has more titles here than him, but Novak was always close, he always pretty much reached the final and ended up losing to Rafa. And I lost to him last year in the final.

I think that he reads the game, you know, unbelievably well. He knows how to use a dropshot well. Obviously he moves great. So it's tough to hit winners on him.

You know, physically he's there. He's strong. He never breaks down in a way. You feel sometimes that he will, but he never does.

I think he's shown that the last two matches playing over four hours and looking kind of down and out but coming back.

I didn't see much of what happened today, but I heard that he was down and even down a break in the fourth and came back from there. So he rises to the challenge whenever he needs to (smiling).

I mean, he has all the shots. I mean, he doesn't play as heavy maybe as Rafa and the extreme topspin, but he doesn't need to. He has other qualities that are almost just as good.

Q. He played 9 hours and 10 minutes, Djokovic, in two matches.

CASPER RUUD: Yeah.

Q. And he's 37.

CASPER RUUD: Yeah.

Q. Years ago Connors went the same path, played and then at the end he had to play Chang, and when he was up 15-Love in the fifth, he said, Thanks, that's enough. That was an incredible ovation, standing ovation for him. Do you think that that could happen again with Djokovic, that he never surrendered, but he's a human?

CASPER RUUD: Yeah, he is, of course, but I don't expect him to surrender at all. I have to expect him to be fresh, ready and that it's going to be a tough match.

Last year in the final, I got an early break in the first set, I still remember. I lost it on the tiebreak. It was a long, tough, physical set. I'm going to try to learn from that, if I get an early break try not to be broken back, obviously.

I'm just going to expect him to be fresh, ready in two days. Not think too much if he played 9 hours, 12 hours, or 4 hours in the last couple of days.

You know, Novak is Novak. He's going to be ready no matter what, or at least he's going to do his best to be ready. Typically he does it really well.

I'm going to try to think that I'm 25; he's 37. Maybe doesn't mean too much because he's still in physically great shape, but he's played a few hours more than me on the way here, and hopefully my matches leading up to it has not been as long as his and I will try if there is any possibility to take advantage of that.

Q. You just won three very tough matches, very long, very hard. Is that for you the best preparation for the challenge that awaits you?

CASPER RUUD: I think so. I mean, honestly, I think the last three matches have been really tough, even the first round, so I'm very happy to come through. I think honestly I ended up in a pretty tough section of the draw and a lot of good players on the way here that I have been able to overcome.

I think I've said it before, but the goal is not necessarily to play three perfect sets every time and win straight sets, but sometimes you just have to think, okay, I won't play perfect but I'm going to be a tough player to beat in best-of-five sets on clay. That's the kind of mentality that have been working for me.

I know if the opponents want to beat me, they're going to have to play really good tennis for at least three full sets, and I'm going to try to make it tough for them.

Physically I'm going to try to be in good shape and make them suffer if I can. With my technical game I'm going to try to play heavy and play the kind of clay court tennis that I like playing.

Yeah, it's been working well the last two, three years here. But, yeah, in two days gonna be one of the toughest challenges that we have in the sport.

Q. Playing Novak, biggest challenge, as you said, a few moments ago when Novak was in press he said there's a chance he might pull out of Roland Garros because he's waiting for MRI on his knee and everything. Does that affect in any way your preparation or your way of thinking before the match?

CASPER RUUD: Yeah, I didn't know anything about it until you said now. I mean, it's his body, and obviously his choice. He will do whatever is right for him. Yeah, I mean, if he steps on court on Wednesday, it doesn't change anything. It's still a match to be played. He's going to do his best to be ready, I'm sure. I'm going to do my best to be ready.

Obviously playing best-of-five sets is demanding for everyone. Like we've been talking about, he's played 9 hours the last two matches, so obviously it's normal that some players will feel it a little extra.

So hopefully he will be able to step on court. I think in the slams, in the quarterfinal, it's a shame if there is no match, of course. But it's his body, his choice, and we will just, I guess, wait and see, but I will prepare like any other match and do my best to be ready myself on Wednesday.