Casper Rudd Admits Roger Federer Bamboozled Him at Roland Garros
Norwegian tennis star Casper Ruud, offered high praise for Roger Federer, recounting the awe-inspiring experience of playing against the Swiss legend at Roland Garros. Speaking candidly about Federer’s playing style, Ruud reflected on the challenge of facing one of the sport’s most unpredictable and gifted athletes.
“I’ve experienced playing against players where it’s so tough to predict what’s coming,” Ruud said in an interview with Tennis Majors. “And I think the greatest of all was Roger. I was lucky enough to play him once at Roland Garros, and wow, I had no idea what was coming off his racket.”
Ruud, known for his clay-court prowess and disciplined baseline game, described Federer’s uncanny ability to vary his shots in ways that left even top-tier opponents guessing. “He could suddenly hit a loopy one and then, like, knife a short slice or rip a fast one on the rise,” Ruud continued. “It was impossible to anticipate.”
Despite the temptation to emulate Federer’s style, Ruud acknowledged the near-impossibility of replicating such genius. “I’m not going to try to play like Roger, because that’s too difficult for me,” he admitted. Instead, the Madrid Open champion is looking to add a bit of Rafael Nadal’s grind into his game.
“Ultimately, on clay, the way Rafa beats his opponents is by making them suffer, grinding them down to the backhand,” said Ruud. “In the end, you get so tired of doing it that you almost give up. I’m nowhere near Rafa — not trying to compare myself — but that’s not exactly a secret recipe. That’s how many clay matches are won,” he added.
Ruud’s comments not only highlight Federer’s enduring influence on the current generation of players but also magnify the Swiss maestro’s rare combination of elegance, variety, and tactical brilliance that made him one of the most formidable and admired figures in tennis history.
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