‘We deserve it’ declares Casper Ruud on his and Carlos Alcaraz’s top two status
Casper Ruud is proud to be the new world number two and believes he and Carlos Alcaraz deserve their standing as the two highest ranked players on the ATP tour.
The two men played a straight shootout for world number one in the US Open final, with the young Spaniard coming out on top in four sets to land the accolade.
After the battle, Ruud spoke of how Alcaraz is seizing the moment to become the youngest men’s number one in history.
“He’s riding that wave. At the moment he’s the best player in the world in my eyes,” the Norwegian said in his press conference. “He deserves that spot. I’m happy that we played each other in the final and that we played for the title and the world number one spot. I think it’s deserving that after great results, both of us having good results throughout the year, we are one and two in the rankings.”
Of course, the fact that Wimbledon carried no ranking points has skewed the rankings somewhat, particular for the men. Still, Alcaraz has two Masters 1000 titles and a Slam to his name, while Ruud has reached two Slam finals in 2022.
The 23-year-old was asked to compare his US Open championship match experience to that of facing his idol Rafael Nadal in the French Open final, stating that he was nervous for both.
“But I still thought I was the underdog in a way [here in New York] because of Carlos, he’s on paper higher ranking and all these things. But it was more fun for me today. I didn’t need to play the biggest idol of my life on the biggest match of my life. It was sort of easier for me to believe that I could win,” he admitted. “Even though I lost, I still felt like a champion during these two weeks.
“In Roland Garros, it was hard for me to believe that I could beat Rafa. Today was not easier, but I believed it more. I think these two tournaments have sort of made my self-belief to win a Grand Slam grow. Hopefully these two experiences can help me.
“I guess I hope I don’t play a Spanish player if I ever reach another Slam final,” he continued with a smile. “They know what they’re doing in Slam finals.”
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