Steve Johnson doesn’t think former Grand Slam finalist will have a winning record on grass this year

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Casper Ruud isn’t one of the favourites to win Wimbledon this year.

The Norwegian is a three-time Grand Slam finalist, finishing as runner-up at the 2022 French Open, 2022 US Open, and 2023 French Open.

Who is now the best active ATP player without a Grand Slam title after Alexander Zverev’s French Open victory?

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But Ruud has never come close to matching that success at Wimbledon.

With that in mind, former American ATP pro Steve Johnson expects the 27-year-old to struggle on grass this season.

Steve Johnson doesn’t think Casper Ruud will finish the 2026 grass-court season with a winning record

During the latest episode of ‘Nothing Major‘, Johnson, Sam Querrey, and John Isner discussed players they would ‘buy or sell’ heading into the grass season.

Making his pick, Johnson predicted how Ruud would perform on grass this year.

“My sell is Casper Ruud,” he said.

“The only grass he wants to see is a golf course!

“He’s going to rock up to Wimby, win a match maybe, then win Bastad and Gstaad right after.

“I love Casper, but I just don’t think he’s going to play any, so he’s not going to gain any momentum.

“I don’t see a winning record on grass for him.”

Johnson’s prediction isn’t all that bold, as Ruud has yet to complete a grass-court season with a winning record at ATP events.

In fact, the Norwegian has only won multiple grass-court matches in a year once, back in 2021.

Casper Ruud’s (ATP main draw) grass-court record every year

• 2019: (0-1)
• 2021: (2-2)
• 2022: (1-2)
• 2023: (1-1)
• 2024: (1-1)

Ruud has played two grass-court warm-up events in his career, the 2021 Mallorca Championships and the 2022 Queen’s Club Championships.

He reached the quarter-finals in Mallorca, his best-ever grass-court result, but lost in the first round of Queen’s.

Perhaps it’s that lack of preparation that costs him when he arrives at the All England Club.

Wimbledon is, by far, Ruud’s worst Grand Slam event.

The Norwegian has won three matches in London and has yet to reach the third round.

Casper Ruud’s Grand Slam record

Casper Ruud’s Wimbledon record (3-5)

• 2018 Wimbledon Q1 [LOSS] vs Antoine Hoang, 4-6, 5-7
• 2019 Wimbledon 1R [LOSS] vs John Isner, 3-6, 4-6, 6-7
• 2021 Wimbledon 1R [LOSS] vs Jordan Thompson, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-2, 2-6
• 2022 Wimbledon 1R [WIN] vs Albert Ramos Vinolas, 7-6, 7-6, 6-2
• 2022 Wimbledon 2R [LOSS] vs Ugo Humbert, 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 4-6
• 2023 Wimbledon 1R [WIN] vs Laurent Lokoli, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
• 2023 Wimbledon 2R [LOSS] vs Liam Broady, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 0-6
• 2024 Wimbledon 1R [WIN] vs Alex Bolt, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4
• 2024 Wimbledon 2R [LOSS] vs Fabio Fognini, 4-6, 5-7, 7-6, 3-6

At this stage of his career, it’s difficult to imagine Ruud suddenly figuring out the surface that has caused him so many problems.

It’s more likely that Ruud will continue to focus on clay and hard courts, where he has won 14 ATP titles.

Unsurprisingly, the world number 14 hasn’t signed up to play any grass-court warm-up events this year.

Ruud will begin his Wimbledon campaign when the tournament starts on Monday, June 29.

John Isner predicts how Alexander Bublik will perform on grass this year

Johnson’s co-host, Isner, was also keen to make his pick,

“I’m going to sell [Alexander] Bublik,” he said.

“I know he is good on grass, it’s probably his best surface, I’m going to sell him.”

Bublik defeated Jannik Sinner on his way to the Halle Open title last year, although his Wimbledon efforts left a lot to be desired.

The Kazakhstani lost in the first round to Spain’s Jaume Munar.

Bublik will be keen to make a deeper run in 2026, even if Isner isn’t convinced.

He began his grass-court season earlier this week in Stuttgart, where he defeated Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round.

The world number 11 will return to take on Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the quarter-finals on Friday, June 12.