Norway’s tennis star Casper Ruud has stated that the world number
one Novak Djokovic remains a ‘human’ after beating him in the semifinal of the
Monte-Carlo Masters. The 25-year-old registered a surprising win against the
Serbia’s legendary tennis star on Saturday with a score of 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
It was Ruud’s first-ever win over Djokovic after suffering
five consecutive defeats against him previously. While talking to the media
after the match, the current world number 10 called the 24-time Grand Salm
winner a ‘human’ and also revealed what was the primary reason for his
motivation on the day.
"Obviously Novak is Novak,” he said. “He's human.
Sometimes he doesn't seem like it, but he is like everyone else. I think what
really motivated me and helped me a bit today was maybe that I thought about,
you know, he lost a match in Indian Wells to Luca Nardi, and he showed there
that he's also vulnerable sometimes.
"Not many times in a year, but a few days here and
there he's possible to beat. Luckily for me I was able to think about those
thoughts in the end of the third set and take advantage of it.”
Casper Ruud will face Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the event on Sunday.
Ruud will now face Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final
of the competition on Sunday. It will be fourth meeting between the two. In the
previous three outings, the Oslo-born has a slight edge over the current world
number 12 as he won on two occasions and suffered just a solitary defeat.
Their previous meeting was in the semifinal of an ATP event
in Los Cabos earlier this year where the Norwegian tennis star came out on top
with a score of 6-4, 7-6. Interestingly, in their only previous meeting on
the clay court, which was back in 2021 during the ATP 1000 Madrid Masters
event, it was Ruud who came out on top in straight sets with a score of 7-6,
6-4.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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