"I always look at what they do well" says Casper Ruud citing Nadal's and Thiem's influences

Casper Ruud is becoming a very noted clay-court specialist and the Norwegian found inspiration in other clay greats such as Nadal and Thiem.

Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem played two French Open finals with Nadal winning both of those matches. The Spaniard is widely considered the best clay player of all time and Casper Ruud draws inspiration from him. Not only Nadal but also Thiem whom the Norwegian greatly admires. He admitted in a recent interview saying:

"I have always admired Nadal and Thiem. I think they are very good on clay because of their heavy game, something that makes them win a lot of matches. I always look at what they do well."

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Ruud also cited other players he tries to learn from including Zverev and Tsitsipas:

"Zverev is also good at clay or Tsitsipas who doesn't have a similar game to Thiem or Rafa. You can play many different styles on clay. I think mine fits fine. If you look at my results in recent years, I have achieved many victories that give me confidence."

The Norwegian won the 2022 Argentina Open for the 2nd time in his career. He bested native Diego Schwartzman in the final.